


History

by InkExchange



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun is a Slut, Constant Clubbing, Drugs, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Grocery Store Adventures, Happy Ending, Hate to Love, Humor, I was going to add another tag but I forgot what it was, M/M, Mixed feelings, Overemotional Tao, Past Memories, Sassy, Satansoo, Sexual Humor, Smut, Sort of Sexual Harassment, Super Cliche Title, Swearing, probably fluff, this is really weird
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 07:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 44,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6972373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkExchange/pseuds/InkExchange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zitao Huang had only ever loved one person, so he was thrilled when that person asked him out in high school. Being young and naive, he didn't think twice about losing his virginity to him. However, what he thought was true love turned out to only be a one night fling for Kris Wu.<br/>Five years later, Tao is still living in the past. He's never had another romantic experience since that incident. But when the two unexpectedly reunite, life gets a lot more complicated.<br/>Tao might not be the only one struggling with his emotions anymore.<br/>-<br/>Taoris still sails in the ocean that is my heart! I'm sorry if the grammar is awful! No one is editing this... Also! This story will have a lot of side pairings, but the main focus is obviously Taoris.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Wingman

**Author's Note:**

> *IMPORTANT*- I posted this on my Wattpad account a long while ago (Flurryofstars) but I decided to post it here too! So don't say I'm stealing my own work! lol

Zitao had a headache.

He didn't know whether to blame it on the deafening music or the flashing lights. All he knew was that he was fine before he had entered the club and now he was stuck with a migraine from Hell. He shouldn't have let Baekhyun and Sehun drag him here.

He literally spent the last hour leaning up against a wall to try to avoid sweaty drunks grinding on him. He still got hit on several times, but he managed to scare off his admirers with a glare.

Tao didn't know why his friends had insisted he come out with them, especially since they had separated instantly upon arriving. He would sometimes catch a glimpse of Sehun dancing or Baekhyun flirting off in the distance but that was it. To make matters worse, he lived on the opposite side of town and he couldn't leave since he had gotten a ride from Sehun.

"Oh my gosh Tao! You'll never believe what I have to tell you!" a familiar voice called out to him.

Tao turned to see an ecstatic looking Baekhyun waltzing towards him, drink in hand.

"Are we finally going to leave?" Tao asked hopefully.

"What? No. We just got here."

Tao sighed in defeat. He knew it was going to be a long night.

Baekhyun snapped his fingers a few centimeters away from Tao's face to get his attention. "This is important Tao! I need you to be my wingman."

"What?"

"I spotted a hottie at the bar. I'm pretty sure this one is actually gay too!" Baekhyun explained happily. 

"That's great, but you know I can't be your wingma-" Tao started but was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.

"DON'T bring up him again. I don't care how badly he hurt you in the past, because it happened five years ago! You need to move on" Baekhyun said, and Tao knew there was no point arguing with him. Still, he had to try.

"Why can't Sehun do it?"

"Do you honestly think you were my first choice?" Baekhyun scoffed.

The comment earned the older male a harsh look from the blonde.

"Sehun is in a dance battle right now and I didn't want to interrupt. But really Tao, it's not a big deal. I just need you to distract the guy with him. You don't need to do anything sexual, unless you want to."

"I don't know..."

Noticing his friend's uncertainty, Baekhyun quickly pulled out his secret weapon--the puppy dog eyes. 

"Pwease Taozi~?" he begged cutely.

Needless to say, Tao caved. He then found himself being dragged through the crowd by the brunet. On their way to the bar, Tao tried his best to not get too annoyed by constantly being bumped into. It was almost impossible for him to accomplish that when he felt a hand lightly grope his backside, but he somehow found a way.

Eventually the bar came into view, and the pair sat down. After ordering two drinks, Baekhyun pointed his target out to Tao. The man was tall with dark brown hair and large ears. He was handsome but not his type. The one next to him was also attractive with darker skin and brown hair. Something about them seemed familiar to Tao...

When the bartender came back with the drinks, Baekhyun told him to give them to the two boys instead.

"Are you ready?" he asked Tao with an excited expression.

He didn't answer his friend though. He was too busy trying to control his nerves. He was really shy and he was worried that he would screw up the plan. Baekhyun gave him a reassuring pat on the back right before the two boys walked over to them.

"Thanks for the drinks", the tall one said.

"Oh it was nothing" Baekhyun replied with a wave of his hand.

The tall one smiled at that, "My name's Chanyeol and this is Kai," he said, gesturing towards the man standing next to him.

Tao tensed up next to Baekhyun, and his friend definitely noticed because he gave him a weird look. He did know them. He went to highschool with the two. He had never actually talked to either of them, but he knew that the pair was very close with a certain someone. They were almost always together.

"I'm Baekhyun and this is Tao" the brunet continued the conversation with a charming smile.

"Tao?" a deep voice questioned from behind.

The sound sent shivers down the blonde's spine. He gripped onto Baekhyun suddenly. "We need to leave now!" he desperately whispered to his friend.

"What? Why?" the brunet whispered back.

Before he could answer his friend, a giant built like a god, but with the face of an angel, came into view. He had big brown eyes and dirty blond hair. He looked more manly than he did in high school, but Tao could recognize him anywhere.

Tao found himself conflicted at the sight of him. Part of him wanted to run his fingers through his perfect hair and just get lost in his eyes. The more rational part of him wanted to run away as fast as his legs could carry him.

Instead, Zitao found himself staring dumbly at the newcomer.

Subconsciously he whispered one last thing to Baekhyun.

"Kris."


	2. The Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao is brought face to face with his greatest regret of all time. Luckily, Sehun is ready to save Zitao from a potentially embarrassing/ violent encounter with Kris Wu.

"Wait!? This is Kris!? The guy who br-"

Tao covered Baekhyun's mouth with his hand before he could finish the sentence. Sadly, his friend had spoken at a surprisingly loud volume. Chanyeol and Kai looked extremely confused by the strange behavior, but Kris didn't seem to care.

"Wow it really is you! Do you remember us? We went to highschool together" Kris questioned the blond eagerly.

Zitao was still too stunned to form a proper sentence so he just nodded in response.

"You went to school with us?" Kai asked. He seemed even more confused than before.

"Yeah. He always hung out with Suho's crowd. You used to call him the wushu kid" Kris said, trying to remind his friend, but Kai still seemed clueless.

"Did you go to our school too?" Chanyeol suddenly asked Baekhyun.

Just then, Tao felt something wet slide against the palm of his hand. Realizing that Baekhyun had just licked the hand that was still covering his mouth, Tao pulled it back in disgust.

"No, I went to a private school" Baekhyun replied whilst wiping his lips of Tao's germs.

"That makes sense. I would have definitely recognized a face like yours" Chanyeol flirted.

Baekhyun grinned at the statement, "Obviously. It's not everyday you stumble upon someone as perfect as me."

While Chanyeol was busy laughing with Baekhyun, Kris stepped closer to Tao.

"You've changed a lot since I last saw you."

Tao was inwardly panicking at how close Kris was to him. "What do you mean?" Tao asked, surprised by how stable his voice sounded.

"Your haircolor is different and you seem more confident" Kris explained, all the while giving Tao an intense stare, "You look good."

Zitao felt his face heating up at the compliment, and he had to tear his eyes away from Kris's to hide the blush. He hated himself for it, but even after five years of resenting Kris, he still got all hot and bothered being around him.

"Thanks" he said quietly.

"So uh" Kris started nervously, "Do you maybe want to get out of here, with me."

Zitao's head snapped back to the man in shock.

Kris coughed awkwardly when he saw the amount of surprise on the younger's face. "Well, we did it that one other time, and you seemed to like it then. So I just thought that maybe you'd want to-."

"Have another one night stand with you?" Tao finished the sentence for him, his eyes narrowing into venomous slits.

"Basically, yeah" Kris shrugged.

Tao was furious. Obviously Kris had no idea that he never wanted the one night stand in the first place, and didn't want one now, but it still upset him. The fact that Kris thought that Tao was just ready on standby was insulting. At the same time, Tao was also a little pleased to hear that Kris still found him attractive enough to fuck, but he pushed that thought out of his head immediately.

Before Tao could flat out reject the older boy, Sehun unexpectedly appeared next to him.

"Actually, the three of us need to get going. Sorry to disappoint" the youngest answered for Tao.

Kris's face fell a little. "Oh okay. Well hopefully I see you again soon" he said to Tao with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

Tao tried to ignore the way his heart fluttered.

Sehun walked over to Baekhyun, who was chatting enthusiastically with Chanyeol, and grabbed his wrist, "We're leaving now."

"Why!? I'm not done talking yet!" Baekhyun asked with pout.

"We just are" Sehun replied sternly as he dragged Baekhyun away from his new friend.

"But I didn't even get his number!" he whined when the three of them exited the club.

Sehun continued to silently drag a loudly complaining Baekhyun to his car. Tao followed them with his eyes gazing at the sidewalk and his hands dug deep in his pockets. He kept replaying the meeting with Kris in his head, and he didn't know how to handle his mixed emotions. He didn't even know why he was having mixed emotions to begin with.

Once they were sitting in Sehun's car and on their way across town, Sehun finally broke the silence. "So that guy back there was Kris?"

"Yeah" Tao murmured.

"He was super sexy! I cannot believe you tapped that ass!" Baekhyun started to ramble, "I completely understand why you're still torn up about your past drama now. You'll probably never meet a more attractive man in your entire life! What were you two talking about anyway?"

"He wanted to have another fling with me" Zitao huffed.

"And you ruined it for both of us!?" Baekhyun accused Sehun harshly.

"Tao looked like he was about to rip the guy's head off. Believe me, ruining your night with the elf was worth it" Sehun said calmly.

"You were going to say no!?" Baekhyun asked in disbelief, before turning back to Sehun and hissing, "And Chanyeol is not an elf!"

Sehun snorted in disagreement.

"I would never do anything like that with the likes of Kris. It was devastating enough the first time. I don't want to relive that experience ever again" Tao explained firmly.

Baekhyun just rolled his eyes and then went on a rant about how great Chanyeol was.

After a while, they finally arrived at Tao's apartment building.

"Thanks for the ride" Tao said to the younger male.

"Kris would have been a much better ride I'm sure" Baekhyun muttered under his breath, but Tao still heard it.

He glared at Baekhyun before walking inside the building and taking the elevator to the third floor. He was relieved to be back home, and practically skipped to his place. He unlocked the door happily, but as soon as he opened it his mood dropped.

A pungent smell instantly took over Tao's senses and he covered his nose reflexively.

"Goddammit Lay" Tao cursed as he opened a window.

Zitao was happy that he was roommates with his good friend Lay, but it was a blessing and a curse. Lay had a habit of smoking pot. He didn't do it very often, mostly because Tao hated the smell of it, but he definitely smoked some tonight.

After a few hundred times of Tao begging him to stop, he had finally had the last straw. He was going to move out and hopefully get a roommate who wasn't always high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is a little unclear. Tao's past with Kris will be further explained in the next chapter.  
> Stay tuned for a grocery store adventure! :D


	3. The Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao's a wreck, Lay is chilling, and Kris is too cocky for his own good.

“Hello?” A deep voice asked on the other end of the phone. 

 

“Hi, is this Kyungsoo?” Tao asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“My name’s Tao. I saw your post online and I’m interested in moving in.”

 

“Oh? That’s great. I’m sure you’ve read the payment and housing information already, but do you have any questions?” Kyungsoo asked, his tone sounding light.

 

“Uh... do you want to meet me in person before we decide on anything?”

 

“You seem like a nice guy. I’m sure we’ll get along fine so there’s no point in us meeting first unless you want to.”

 

Tao laughed, “I guess it’s fine.”

 

“Honestly, I’m kind of desperate right now. I don’t think I’m going to have enough money for rent this month...”

 

“I can move in by the end of the week!” Tao exclaimed proudly, wanting to reassure the male that he’d be able to pay his half of the rent. 

 

“Seriously?! But you can take all of the time you need, really. I don’t want to rush you or anything.”

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry.”

 

“Alright, I guess I’ll be seeing you soon” Kyungsoo said brightly.

 

“Yep. See ya” Tao replied before ending the call. 

 

At first he had been nervous to room with someone he’d never met before, but after talking to Kyungsoo he was confident that they’d end up being good friends. 

 

“It sounds like you’ve finally found your guy” Lay spoke up from where he sat lazily on the couch. 

 

“Yeah” Tao replied, feeling kind of bad for leaving Lay.

 

Sure Lay had a good job, so paying the rent wouldn’t be an issue for him, but he got lonely very easily. He felt like a bad friend for ditching him, but it wasn’t like they were going to live together forever anyway.

 

“Stop being so mopey” Lay said with a scowl. 

 

“Huh?” Tao asked dumbly.

 

“Ever since you told me you were moving out, you’ve been acting weird. You keep staring at me all gloomy like” he explained.

 

Zitao sighed, “I’m sorry. Are you sure you’re ok with me leaving so suddenly?”

 

“I can get stoned more often if you’re gone” he said with a shrug.

 

The blond wasn’t exactly happy to hear that though, and his expression must have gone dark again. 

 

“Listen if you want to make it up to me, you  _ could _ do me a quick favor?”

 

“Like what?” the younger asked. 

 

“Can you go get some groceries for me? I don’t really feel like moving right now.”

 

Tao rolled his eyes, “I always get the groceries anyway.”

 

The older male ignored him. His attention was now on the tv screen where a film about unicorns was playing. Tao shook his head in annoyance and left the apartment. The grocery store was close enough for him to walk, and the fresh air helped to relax him a little. But walking in silence meant he had to deal with his thoughts. Unfortunately, ever since his club outing a few days ago, the only thing on his mind was Kris Wu. 

 

He kept imagining Kris’s perfect face and wondering if he should try to track him down and take up the sex offer. 

 

Tao groaned at the thought. He didn’t know why he was so infatuated with the man. In highschool it had been obvious. Kris was handsome, good at sports, funny, and a little quirky. That was before he knew that Kris was also sleazy, dense, controlling, and maybe a little too handsome... 

 

He decided that he must be insane, because no normal person would ever fall for a guy like that. 

 

Eventually, Tao finally made it to the grocery store. 

 

The first thing he knew he needed to buy was junk food and coca cola since their stock was running low, and he knew how moody the older male would get without them. He got the coke first, grabbed a bag of chips, and then went to ponder in the cereal aisle. Their usual brand wasn’t there, so he didn’t know what to buy. 

 

He was stuck between fruit loops and frosted flakes. 

 

Tao picked up both boxes and studied them fiercely. He read the ingredients, checked to see if either had a toy, and looked up reviews on his phone. In the end he decided to just buy both.

 

He put both items in his cart and then turned to go to the produce section, but his eyes landed on someone he really didn’t want to see. 

 

Kris was at the end of the aisle picking out his own cereal. He looked absolutely gorgeous and Tao internally scolded himself when he realized that he had been drooling. Kris hadn’t noticed him yet so he went to make a run for it. He needed to leave the store as fast as possible. Lay would just have to last the week on junk food alone. 

 

“Tao!?” the voice asked in surprise, stopping the blond in his tracks. 

 

He turned back around to see Kris walking towards him with the most dazzling smile ever. His teeth were practically shining and his eyes were so beautiful. 

 

“Oh! Uh... hey there?” Tao stumbled over his words, “What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m grocery shopping” Kris answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it kind of was.

 

Zitao scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, embarrassed for asking such a dumb question. Since he didn’t trust himself to say anything even remotely intelligible at that point he decided to stay quiet. 

 

“Well I’m glad to see you again. I was actually meaning to ask you something the other night, but you left so fast that I didn’t really get the chance to.”

 

“Oh?” Tao wondered aloud. 

 

Kris nodded, “You gave me your number a long time ago, but you never actually answered any of my calls or texts. I think you may have accidentally given me the wrong number at the time...”

 

Kris took out his phone and showed Tao the contact information he had listed. 

 

“So?”

 

Tao looked away from the phone and back to Kris, “Actually, that number is correct.”

 

“Really!?” Kris asked, seemingly stunned. 

 

Tao watched as the taller male directed his attention to his phone and pressed his finger to the screen. A few seconds later, a ringing sounded from within Tao’s pocket. He pulled his own phone out and realized that Kris was calling. 

 

“So it  _ is _ your number!”

 

Tao gave a weak smile as he slid the phone back into his pocket. He didn’t like where this conversation was heading.

 

“Wait... Why didn’t you ever answer my messages then?” Kris asked, eyeing Tao with suspicion. 

 

He didn’t know where he got the sudden burst of courage, but Tao suddenly decided to say what he was actually thinking for once. “Maybe I ignored your constant booty calls because I regretted ever being with a whore like you.”

 

The minute the words left his mouth he felt awful. At first Kris looked astonished but then his expression turned to that of confusion. 

 

“But you knew that I was a player,” he murmured, seeming baffled, “didn’t you?”

 

Tao ignored the question and decided that it was time he made his escape. He turned back to the entrance of the store and started to leave the aisle when Kris erupted into laughter behind him. He didn’t understand what the man had found so funny, but before he could make it all the way out of the aisle, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. 

 

The blond stopped against his better judgement. The strong hand resting firmly on his shoulder was enough to fuel the butterflies in his stomach. He could barely resist leaning into the touch. Tao glanced back to see a knowing smirk on the older’s face.

 

“What?” he sputtered out in annoyance.

 

“You liked me right?”

 

Tao felt his eyes widen at the question and Kris took it as the sign to continue.

 

“You probably had a huge crush on me. That’s why you eagerly accepted my offer without thinking it through. So in the morning when you realized that it had only been a hookup, you were devastated. You played it off well, even giving me your number to hide your pain. Am I right?”

 

Tao didn’t know how to respond to that. Kris had definitely hit the nail on the head.

 

“Also,” Kris started and his smirk grew wider, “You were a virgin. You didn’t say it, but I could tell from how responsive and needy you were. You were so cute.”

 

Kris was starting to piss him off. Tao narrowed his eyes dangerously, trying to look as intimidating as possible even though he was blushing like a schoolgirl. 

 

“I’d love to see you like that again” Kris whispered huskily as his hand moved to cup Tao’s cheek.

 

“Don’t touch me” Tao snarled as he slapped Kris’s hand away from him. 

 

“I saw the way you looked at me in the club. You wanted me” Kris said as he stepped even closer to the younger male. His face was so close that Tao became breathless. Tao’s eyes darted to Kris’s lips hungrily and he couldn’t help letting out a small whimper. 

 

“You still do” Kris added and he began to lean in for a kiss.

 

Before their lips could meet, Tao shoved the older boy away with all the strength he could muster. He let out a shaky breath before snapping at the older male, “I don’t want you! You’re a walking STD!”

 

Leaving it at that, Tao hurried out of the store, abandoning the cart full of junk in the process. He hoped that Lay wouldn’t mind.

 

Once Tao got back to the apartment he rushed past his roommate and collapsed on his bed. His heart was pounding in his chest to the point that it was painful. Why did he have to run into Kris!? Why did his body still react to him!? 

 

Zitao knew that he hated the man. He  _ absolutely _ hated that arrogant prick! 

 

He needed to talk to Suho. Suho was basically a mother to him, so he’d be able to comfort Tao.

 

Digging his phone from his pocket, he went to dial the number when he saw that he had gotten a text about ten minutes ago. He winced when he realized that it was from Kris but he couldn’t stop himself from reading the message.

 

_ You can deny it all you want, but sooner or later you’ll be crawling back to me. _

 

_ I’ll be looking forward to that day <3. _

 

Tao threw his phone at the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha this fic is so weird. I'm sorry. At least the plot of the story is starting to become more apparent...  
> Hopefully this chapter helped clear up any confusion about their past but who knows.  
> Thanks to everyone who reads this and gives kudos! I <3 you all~!


	4. The Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao moves into his new apartment.

Tao walked into his new building with a rush of excitement. He couldn’t wait to meet Kyungsoo in person and explore his new home. 

 

Lay had driven him to the apartment but he didn’t stay to help Tao with his bags. Zitao could carry the bags by himself anyway and he didn’t blame his friend for leaving. Lay was still stingy from not having any junk food for a few days as Tao had sworn to never go to the grocery store again. He was too afraid to run into Kris there. 

 

Zitao took the elevator to his floor and knocked on the door at the far end of the hallway. After he knocked, he realized that the door number was 666. 

 

Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal a short boy with dark brown hair. He looked to be around the same age as Tao. The boy looked up at him with huge eyes. 

 

“Who are you?” The brunet asked. His voice was very deep, not really matching his cute appearance, but Tao recognized it from their phone call. 

 

“I’m Tao” he answered with a nervous smile, “Are you Kyungsoo?”

 

He ignored the question and let his eyes travel down to Tao’s leopard print bags. 

 

Tao started fidgeting, feeling uncomfortable with the silent stranger. “Um... we talked on the phone earlier this week... I told you I’d be here today” he tried to remind him. 

 

“I know” he replied, raising his head to meet his eyes, “Come in”. He stepped aside in the doorway so that Tao could enter and then shut the door behind him. 

 

The apartment wasn’t that different from Lay’s. It was about the same size, with similar wallpaper, layout, and furniture colors. The only things that stood out were how clean the place was, and the kitchen. 

 

The kitchen was huge, with cooking supplies and decor set up in an almost professional way. His heart fluttered at the idea of living with someone who could actually cook well. He was sick of ordering takeout every night with Lay... Well not really. Sure it was unhealthy, but Tao loved to eat about anything. 

 

“This is a nice place!” Tao complimented as he turned back to the brunet, who was now sitting down on the living room sofa. A giant stack of papers rested on the coffee table in front of him. 

 

Tao walked over with curiosity.

 

“I didn’t say it on the phone, but I need you to sign these forms” the brunet said as he lifted his head to meet Tao’s gaze. 

 

“So you  _ ARE _ Kyungsoo!” Tao exclaimed as if he’s solved a murder investigation. 

 

Kyungsoo stared blankly at Tao for a few moments before the blond kneeled on the other side of the coffee table to examine the papers. 

 

“What exactly am I signing?” 

 

“I need you to sign a contract for the payment details and the terms of agreement that I prepared for you.”

 

“Terms of agreement?” 

 

Kyungsoo gave a short nod as he searched through the forms. Eventually, he pulled out a few sheets and slid them over to Tao. “That’s what I call them, but they’re technically just rules I have that my roommates  _ must _ follow. Read through it all and have them signed for tomorrow. If they aren’t filled out by then, you’ll have to move out.”

 

“Move out? I just got here” Tao choked out in surprise. 

 

“As long as those papers are signed when I wake up in the morning, you’re fine” Kyungsoo replied as he stood from the couch, “Your room is the one closest to where we are now.”

 

Tao watched the shorter male stroll into a room by the kitchen and shut the door behind him. Turning back to the papers, Tao groaned in annoyance. He had no idea that his roommate was going to be so serious. He also hated the way Kyungsoo constantly glared at him.

 

Tao skimmed through the terms of agreement first. The rules consisted of things like: ‘Never come into my bedroom’, ‘Don’t invite anyone over without asking me for permission’, ‘Clean regularly’, and  ‘Don’t use my kitchen under any conditions’. 

 

“He’s worse than my mom” Tao mumbled to himself as he started signing the forms. 

 

After three hours of signing paperwork, Tao wasn’t even halfway through the forms. His stomach growled loudly and he walked over to Kyungsoo’s bedroom and knocked on the door.

 

“What?” Kyungsoo groaned from the other side of the door, 

 

“I’m hungry!” Tao complained.

 

“So make something!”

 

“I can use the kitchen?!” Tao asked, surprised after reading the rule saying he couldn’t.

 

“No! Don’t even look at the kitchen!” 

 

“Then how am I supposed to eat?”

 

“I’ll have dinner ready at 6:30pm! If you’re too impatient, go out and get something!” 

 

Tao had to hold himself back from kicking the door in frustration. He knew that he’d be kicked out instantly if he caused any damage before he was even a resident. Instead, Tao crossed his arms and stormed out the front door. He would call his friends and see if they wanted to meet up for dinner or something, even if it was only 3:00pm. 

 

Once he was back in the hallway, he leaned against the wall and sent out a group text to Suho, Xiumin, Lay, Sehun, and Baekhyun. 

 

_ Tao: Do you guys want to get something to eat together? I’m starving! _

 

_ Sehun: I’m down.  _

 

_ Suho: Where were you thinking? _

 

_ Baekhyun: Oh! We should try that new ramen place! _

 

_ Lay: Sounds good! _

 

Tao was just about to respond to the others when a door opened next to him, causing him to jump in surprise. He inwardly cursed himself for being so skittish and tried to calm his racing heart. He turned his head to see his new neighbor and almost has a heart attack. 

  
“KRIS!?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha. This is so weird. Kris is everywhere lol.


	5. The Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao and Kris meet.... again. This time it's not as sexually tense though.  
> Blame Kyungsoo, not me!

“KRIS!?” Tao basically screamed in shock at seeing his new neighbor. 

 

Tao covered his mouth with his hands as soon as the name left his lips. He hadn’t meant to say anything. If anything, he was hoping that Kris wouldn’t notice Tao at all and just leave. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen.

 

Kris had almost jumped out of his skin at the loud scream of his name, and turned to the younger with an equal amount of surprise. 

 

“Tao? What are you doing here?”

 

Tao looked back and forth between Kris and his own apartment in panic. If he told Kris that he had moved into the building, he would be constantly harassed! He had to make something up and fast!

 

“I was just visiting a friend” Tao lied, pointing to his roommate's door as if to prove his statement. 

 

Kris looked at where Tao was pointing and cocked his head in confusion. “You’re friends with Satansoo?”

 

“What?” Tao blanked.

 

“I mean Kyungsoo! You’re friends with that moody dwarf?” Kris covered smoothly. 

 

“Uh... yeah?” 

 

“That’s crazy. I didn’t know it was possible for him to make friends.”

 

“Don’t talk about him like that” Tao defended Kyungsoo even though he didn’t like him that much either. 

 

Kris seemed surprised by the outburst, “Well, his last roomate left because Kyungsoo’s personality was too much to handle. I feel kind of bad. I don’t know how he’s going to find a replacement...” Kris trailed off as he eyed Tao suspiciously. 

 

“What?” Tao asked.

 

“Are you moving in with him?” 

 

“What!? Why would you ask something like that!? I already said why I was here!” Tao started to freak out, hoping Kris would drop the idea. 

 

“If you need a place to stay, you could always room with me” Kris said, ignoring Tao’s lies. 

 

“I don’t need a place to stay!” 

 

“Because you’re already rooming with Satansoo?” 

 

“IT’S KYUNGSOO! NOT SATANSOO!” Tao yelled in anger. He hated it when people made fun of others. 

 

Before anything else could be said, the door to apartment #666 swung open, revealing a very pissed off Kyungsoo. 

 

“Can you two shut the hell up!?” Kyungsoo shouted. 

 

“Sorry about that! We’ll stop now!” Kris apologized quickly. 

 

Kyungsoo clicked his tongue and then turned to Zitao with an intense glare, “You are one step away from being kicked out right now.”

 

“I’m so sorry!” Tao apologized desperately, “I swear this won’t happen again!” 

 

“It better not” the smaller male said and then slammed the door shut. 

 

Zitao sighed in relief. He couldn’t afford being thrown out right now. 

 

“So you do live here then” Kris said out of the blue. 

 

Tao glared at Kris one last time before storming out of the apartment. At least he wasn’t stopped this time. 

 

\----

 

“Why is this happening to me!?” Tao cried helplessly into his bowl of ramen. 

 

“It will be okay” Suho reassured as he rubbed Tao’s back soothingly. 

 

“How!?” Tao sobbed harder. 

 

As soon as he met his friends at the ramen joint he broke down. He couldn’t handle his stress at all. He was never good with his emotions, even when he was younger. 

 

Suho, being the motherly figure he is, instantly started to comfort his crying friend. Sehun had tried to help in the beginning but his patience was too thin. Lay listened until the food came, then he started eating like his life depended on it. Baekhyun was mostly confused and Xiumin was embarrassed. He didn’t like everyone in the restaurant staring at them because of Tao.

 

“I still don’t understand...” Baekhyun said as he ate, “Why can’t you just fuck Kris? Maybe he’ll lose interest in you once you give in and you can have some  _ fun _ at the same time.” 

 

Sehun smacked Baekhyun’s head, “Are you an idiot? Have you not been listening this entire time?” 

 

Baekhyun shrugged, “But Kris is hot! If a person’s hot it shouldn’t matter!” 

 

“I just want him to go away” Tao sniffled. 

 

“What if I beat him up? Will that make you happy?” Xiumin proposed, seeing no other options at that point. 

 

“NO!” Tao shouted, “Don’t hurt him!” 

 

Everyone stared at Zitao in confusion. 

 

“Do you like him or not?” Lay asked through a mouthful of noodles. 

 

“I need to go to the bathroom” Tao said as he got up and left the table. 

 

Once the emotional panda was out of sight, Suho turned to the others with a sad look. “Listen guys, I’m going to let Tao come back home with me. If you don’t want to be around for another emotional breakdown, you should make plans to leave soon.”

 

Baekhyun and Sehun, who share an apartment with Suho, were the first to take up the offer. 

 

“I can’t deal with any more crying” Sehun said simply. 

 

“I was gonna go out anyway” Baekhyun added.

 

After a moment, Lay spoke up, “I’ll hang out with you two. I don’t get out much.”

 

Xiumin looked over at Suho with questioning eyes. “Do you want me to stay with you?” he asked. 

 

Suho shook his head with a laugh. Xiumin was such a great boyfriend. Even though it was obvious that Xiumin didn’t want to help comfort Tao, he still had Suho in his best interest. “Go have some fun” Suho told him. 

 

Xiumin smiled thankfully, “Okay, what should we do?” 

 

“Let’s go to a club! I have some  _ unfinished business _ to attend to” Baekhyun suggested.

 

Sehun rolled his eyes, “Oh god. Not the  _ elf _ again.”

 

Baekhyun punched Sehun’s side, “He is  _ not _ an elf! And you ruined everything last time!” 

 

Sehun grunted in pain, “Fine, whatever.”

 

Xiumin sighed, “What am I supposed to do at a club?” 

 

“You can chill with me” Lay said to the older male. 

 

“Alright, it’s settled” Suho said, “You guys have fun. I’ll handle things here.”

  
With that, the group of four friends left the ramen restaurant, as their food was already long gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter will be about the people at the club!  
> That's right! Zitao will not be in the next chapter. :D


	6. The Elf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun plays hard to get, Xiumin drinks by himself, and Sehun and Lay meet someone new.

Baekhyun strolled into the night club with a confident smile gracing his lips. Lay, Sehun, and Xiumin had never seen their friend so happy in all their life. 

 

“I can’t wait to see what this guy looks like” Xiumin murmured to Lay. 

 

Lay nodded in agreement, but really he was too into the music to hear a word Xiumin said. 

 

“Oh my gosh! There he is!” Baekhyun exclaimed from the front. 

 

Sehun looked past Baekhyun to see three familiar guys hanging around the bar. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Kris. If Tao didn’t like him, neither did Sehun. 

 

Xiumin started to walk towards the bar when Baekhyun grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back. 

 

“What the heck!?” Xiumin asked in surprise. 

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Baekhyun asked the squirrelish man. 

 

“Don’t you want to talk to him?” Xiumin questioned, still not sure which of the three males was Baekhyun’s love interest. 

 

“Not yet! He needs to come to me! If I approach him again I’ll look desperate!” 

 

“Well can I at least go over there? I’m thirsty.”

 

Baekhyun studied his hyung for a moment before releasing his shirt. “Alright, fine.”

 

Xiumin sighed in relief as he made his way to the bar alone. Lay made a move to follow him but he too was stopped by the smallest male. 

 

“No! You and Sehun have to stay with me!” Baekhyun stated.

 

“Why?” Sehun and Lay asked simultaneously. 

 

Baekhyun put his hands on his hips as he started to explain his master plan, “I need you two to have a dance battle to get Chanyeol’s attention. When he looks this way, I’ll make sure he notices me!”

 

Lay and Sehun exchanged a look of disinterest, but they knew it was more trouble than it was worth to argue with their stubborn friend. 

 

\----

 

Xiumin found a seat at the bar and ordered the cheapest drink available. While he was waiting for it’s arrival, he stole glances at the three males sitting a few seats away from him. 

 

One of them had tan skin and brown hair. He was wearing extremely tight jeans and a black shirt. ‘That can’t be comfortable’ Xiumin thought as he looked at the pants again. 

 

The other two were basically towers. The tallest had dirty blond hair, prominent eyebrows, and brown eyes. He was wearing a white jacket and black jeans. The other guy had dark brown hair and big ears. He was wearing a long sleeve black top, blue jeans, and a furry wolf hat with ears. 

 

Xiumin knew right away that the one with the large ears was Chanyeol. ‘Why else would Sehun refer to him as an elf?’ 

 

He was actually a little surprised by the discovery though. 

 

Baekhyun was not a stranger to “dating”. He had been with plenty of girls and guys, though he definitely preferred the latter. Xiumin was always impressed with how attractive all of Baekhyun’s partners were. It’s not that Chanyeol wasn’t handsome. He just seemed a little dorkier than Baekhyun’s go to type. 

 

‘Maybe he has a thing for big ears?’ Xiumin considered. 

 

“Wow! Look at that” the dirty blond said as he pointed out to the dance floor. 

 

His friends and Xiumin both turned to look at a dance battle that had just started up. Xiumin was stunned to see that it was Sehun and Lay dancing. He was even more confused when he saw Baekhyun cheering them on as he switched between different over sexualized poses. 

 

He snuck a peek at Chanyeol, who had his eyes glued on Baekhyun. He was practically drooling. 

 

He thanked the heavens when his drink finally arrived. He turned his back on the dance floor and tried to drink to forget ever becoming friends with such crazy people. 

 

\----

 

Lay completely blocked out the cheers and applause while he danced. He was too lost in the music, body popping and never missing a beat. He was too focused to even watch what Sehun was doing. 

 

For him, it wasn’t about winning a dance off. It was about feeling and expressing the music. 

 

Once the song was over, he finally tuned back into the world around him. 

 

The crowd that had gathered was roaring with excitement and Baekhyun pulled Sehun and Lay into a group hug. Lay smiled and he saw that Sehun also looked pleased. 

 

“You did really well hyung” Sehun said to him.

 

“Thanks, you too” Lay replied. Even though he didn’t see Sehun’s dancing, he knew that the younger male was just as talented as him. 

 

“Baekhyun?” a voice spoke up suddenly. 

 

Baekhyun ended the hug and turned to the guy who had spoken with a neutral smile. “Oh? Hello Cha...”

 

“Chanyeol” the man finished for him, seemingly unfazed.

 

“Oh! I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s been a long time and I’ve never been good with names” Baekhyun said with a laugh. 

 

Lay struggled to hold in his laughter at Baekhyun’s act. 

 

“We left off kind of weird last time, so I was wondering if you wanted to try to continue our conversation” Chanyeol said with a cheery smile. 

 

Baekhyun’s face continued to stay indifferent but Lay didn’t miss the excitement in his eyes. “I guess” he said and then followed Chanyeol back to the bar. 

 

“They’re so weird” Sehun said from the side.

 

Lay finally let out his laughter at the comment and Sehun joined in. 

 

“Hey” a new voice said from behind them. 

 

Lay turned around to face a guy around his age with brown wavy hair and brown eyes. His lips were tilted upwards at the sides in what seemed to be a permanent smile. ‘Cute’ the word popped into Lay’s head out of the blue. 

 

“You guys are really good at dancing” the stranger said with a nervous laugh. 

 

“Thanks” Sehun answered. 

 

The brunet seemed to struggle with forming another sentence as he started fidgeting in front of the two friends. 

 

“What’s up?” Lay asked him. 

 

“Well, it’s just that I really like to dance but I’m not that good at it. Do you think that maybe one of you could teach me?” he asked, as he looked up at Lay through long lashes. 

 

Lay couldn’t stop staring and he didn’t even register the question asked. 

 

“Yeah I’ll teach you” Sehun said cooly. 

 

The stranger seemed surprised that Sehun had said anything but smiled at the younger male nonetheless. 

 

Sehun handed the stranger his phone, “Put in your number and I’ll get a hold of you later in the week so we can set up a practice time.”

 

The brunet took the phone eagerly and started typing in his number, “Thanks so much!”

 

“It’s no problem” Sehun said as he took the phone back and checked the contact name, “Chen.”

 

“Alright, I’ll see you around...” Chen started.

 

“Sehun and Lay” Sehun finished for him.

 

Chen smiled one last time as he waved and ran off. Lay tried to follow him with his eyes through the crowd, but the wavy haired male disappeared almost as quickly as he showed up. 

 

\----

 

“I see you found your little crush again” Kai said as Chanyeol and Baekhyun came over. 

 

“Oh shut it” Chanyeol said, his face heating up in embarrassment. 

 

Baekhyun laughed at Chanyeol’s cuteness, feeling happy that he wasn’t the only one thinking about the other. 

 

“Hey” Kris started, “You’re a friend of Tao’s right?” 

 

Baekhyun eyed Kris carefully, not knowing where this conversation was going, “Yeah?”

 

“Has he said anything about me to you?” he asked.

 

Baekhyun shrugged, “Maybe, Maybe not.”

 

Kris frowned, “Do you know why he acts so scared around me?” 

 

‘Maybe because you sexually harassed him in a grocery store’ Baekhyun wanted to say. Instead he just shrugged again, “Why don’t you ask  _ him _ ?”

 

“It’s hard to talk to him when he just starts screaming and sprinting away the first chance he gets” Kris replied.

 

Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the older male, “Fine, I’ll tell you this much. He’s really confused when it comes to you.”

 

Kris stared at him with a blank expression. 

 

Baekhyun gave in a little too easily as he spilled the beans, “Okay... He loved you in the past, and he probably still loves you now.”

 

“Then what’s the problem?” 

 

“He doesn’t want anything to do with you unless you love him too” Baekhyun explained, “Which you don’t. So please, just leave Tao alone so he can move on.” 

 

Kris was about to say something else when Chanyeol cut him off, “I’m sorry Baekhyun. I didn’t know my pal was going to interrogate you.”

 

“Nah, It’s fine. Besides...” Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol's neck seductively, “I was wondering if you wanted to get out of here.”

 

“You want me to leave?” Chanyeol asked, feeling confused by the mixed signals he was getting. 

 

The smaller male stared up at him as if he was stupid, “Uh no. Do you want to get out of here  _ with me? _ ”

 

The invitation finally clicked in Chanyeol’s head and he smiled, “Yeah! I knew that. I was just messing with you.”

  
Kai and Kris snickered in the background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will contain smut! I don't know how descriptive it's going to be though.  
> I've never written smut before lol.


	7. The Professional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun and Chanyeol leave the club to have some intimate fun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!:  
> This chapter contains poorly written smut. Read at your own risk.

“So this is my place” Chanyeol said as he led Baekhyun into his home, “Sorry if it’s messy or something. I don’t get a lot of guests.”

 

He was taken by surprise when arms wrapped around his waist from behind suddenly. He jumped a little at the contact, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment when he heard the smaller male chuckle at the reaction. 

 

Chanyeol was about to say something else but he ended up choking on his words when a hand slid down his waist to palm at his crotch. Soft moans inadvertently left his mouth and a sound of approval came from Baekhyun. 

 

“I didn’t think you were going to be so vocal.”

 

The tall male bit his bottom lip to try to keep himself quiet, assuming that Baekhyun didn’t like his sounds. The palming didn’t cease when another hand made it’s way to Chanyeol’s face. Delicate fingers drew patterns from his jawline to the corner of his mouth, only stopping to poke at the teeth, barely visible from biting himself. 

 

“You know, I love the sounds you make” Baekhyun purred, “I can feel you losing control of your body, and it’s all because of me.”

 

His voice was almost hypnotizing in Chanyeol’s mind that he didn’t even process his pants being unzipped or the hand slowly pushing into the tight cloth, until cool fingers met his most vulnerable body part. 

 

“Ah, there we go” Baekhyun hummed, allowing his fingers to gently run against the sensitive skin, earning an annoyed whine from the other. He didn’t stop his teasing though. Baekhyun was more than a little irritated and he was hoping that he could manipulate the other into fucking him as soon as possible.

 

Not only did he have to sit through an agonizing taxi ride to get to the apartment, full of sexual tension and a driver who kept giving them knowing looks the whole way, he also had to deal with an apparently nervous partner. A small part of him thought that Chanyeol was being cute, but he was scared that he might be inexperienced at the same time. Baekhyun never got involved with virgins. It was too awkward for a pro like him to walk through the birds and bees with another adult. The teasing was his way of pushing things along. He just had to test Chanyeol’s patience a little bit more. 

 

He was ripped out of his thoughts when his wrists were suddenly grabbed and forced off of the other. Chanyeol wordlessly dragged him to his bedroom and flung him onto the mattress.  

 

Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol from where he lay sprawled out on the bed. The taller’s eyes trailed over his body and Baekhyun felt a shiver of excitement run through him. 

 

Chanyeol soon joined Baekhyun on the bed, grinding into his clothed form as he leaned down to lock lips with the smaller male. The kiss was heated and anything but gentle. Baekhyun could tell that he wasn’t the only one so eager to progress to the next step. 

 

Baekhyun’s lips parted to let out a breathy whimper at the pain caused from his jeans rubbing against his erection, and a tongue took the opportunity to enter his mouth. He didn’t bother with a power struggle. He was worried at first, but Chanyeol seemed to know what he was doing after all and Baekhyun preferred being the bottom anyway. 

 

Their kissing halted when they silently agreed to strip off their clothes. Baekhyun shimmied out of his skinny jeans and boxers just in time for Chanyeol to remove his clothes and help him take off his shirt. They both subconsciously paused what they were doing to admire each other’s newly exposed bodies. Baekhyun ogled the abs on the other and felt a satisfied smile appear when he confirmed that Chanyeol  _ was _ as big as he’d felt earlier.  

 

‘What am I doing? I’ve seen plenty of hotties before. No need to act all impressed. Besides I’m just as built as he is’ Baekhyun forced himself to stop staring and instead ask the important question.

 

“Do you have lube?” 

 

Chanyeol’s head flinched back at the question, clearly being pulled out of his admiring as well. “What? Oh... Yeah!” he thought out loud and then leaned over to his dresser. 

 

Baekhyun watched the muscles deliciously tense above him while Chanyeol dug through the top drawer. Milky white skin shining in the dim bedroom light easily distracted Baekhyun from his aching hard on, only for him to be brought back to reality when cold, wet digits gently circled his entrance. 

 

The caressing went on for a few more seconds until a single finger pushed inside of him. The finger continued to make circular movements inside until his body relaxed a little. When the second finger entered and the scissoring started up, the uncomfortable feeling began to fade a bit. When the third and fourth found their way inside as well, a flash of stimulus overtook him and they both knew it was time to move on. 

 

Chanyeol removed his fingers from the other and proceeded to put on a condom and pour more lube onto his hands, transferring it to his arousal. “Are you ready?” he asked as he positioned himself. 

 

A nod was all he got, and it was all it took, for Chanyeol to slowly thrust into the other’s tight hole. He groaned at the pace but tried his best to control himself. The knitted eyebrows, sweat, and fingers digging into the sheets was a clear sign that Baekhyun wasn’t ready for full powered thrusts yet. Once he was fully inside, he resisted even further by not moving and waiting for an “okay” from the other. The heat and the way his walls clenched around him every so often was almost unbearable.

 

He closed his eyes to try to will away his suffering until a soft “move” was whispered from below. His eyes blinked open and he slowly pulled out a little, only to thrust back in at a faster pace. He continued to do this for a while, once again fighting his urges, when nails scratched their way down his back. Chanyeol met eyes with a desperate looking Baekhyun, breathing shallow breaths and brown eyes glazed over with lust. 

 

The pace instantly quickened and hearing the wanton moans coming from the other only provoked him into pounding even harder into Baekhyun. He gripped his hips, digging his fingers into the skin to keep him steady, and Baekhyun wrapped his legs around Chanyeol. In the new position, Chanyeol was able to thrust even deeper into the other, vigorously hitting his prostate, causing Baekhyun to see stars and cry out in ecstasy over and over again. 

 

It was a beautiful sight. 

 

It had been a while since Chanyeol last had sex, but he knew that it wasn’t the neglect that was causing him to feel so satisfied. It was the way Baekhyun’s hips slammed downward to meet him, the sound of his name rolling off his tongue, and how attractive he was.

 

No one had ever made him feel so good before. 

 

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun cried out one last time as he reached his orgasm, white streaks of cum messing Chanyeol’s stomach and most of Baekhyun’s torso. It only took a couple more thrusts for Chanyeol to come just as hard, a low grunt being the only warning. 

 

He slid out of the other and collapsed unceremoniously next to Baekhyun on the bed. A long moment of silence passed between them as their breathing settled down. 

 

Chanyeol didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if what they had was a no strings attached sort of thing or if Baekhyun was actually interested in a relationship with him. He assumed it wouldn’t be the latter, which lead him to wonder how they’d end the night. Would Baekhyun stay over, leave now, or sneak out at some point? 

 

“So I gue-” Chanyeol started, but was interrupted by Baekhyun turning onto his side and snuggling into his chest. 

 

Instinctively, his arms wrapped around the smaller body, pulling him even closer to him. It felt right. Their bodies fit together so well that it felt natural. 

 

“You’re really cute” Chanyeol thought aloud, immediately feeling embarrassed for saying such a thing. 

 

‘Guys don’t like being called cute, right?’ 

 

When no response came, Chanyeol moved a bit to catch a glimpse of Baekhyun’s face, only to discover that he had fallen asleep already. 

  
With a small laugh, Chanyeol closed his eyes, relieved to know that Baekhyun would still be there in the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I thought this was pretty cute. This was the first sex scene I've ever written and if you thought it was rushed, good. This smut is only the beginning and Baekhyun is a sex addict, not looking for passionate love making in his partner. Anyway, sorry if I disappointed you guys with this. Some of you might have been expecting something better, but I'm not great.... so.... hahaha. 
> 
> The next chapter will be from Tao's perspective again. ANTICIPATE IT!


	8. The Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao goes home after venting his problems to Suho.

Zitao’s mouth stretched open in a long yawn. He rubbed his tired eyes as he walked out of Suho’s apartment. He was surprised to see how dark it was outside. When he was talking to Suho about his problems it only seemed like a few minutes passed. Obviously, their conversation went on for several hours. It certainly explained why Suho fell asleep during his rant. 

 

He felt bad for making his friend listen to him complain for so long and he would have to apologize to him later. 

 

Kyungsoo’s apartment was on the other side of the city and had it been earlier, Tao would have had no issues with walking home. However, the city wasn’t very safe at night. He didn’t bring enough money for a cab so he decided to take the subway instead. 

 

He made his way to the underground station in no time, not noticing the people staring at him on his way there. When he got on the subway, he walked to the nearest seat and sat down. He didn’t spare any of the riders a glance as he took out his phone to check the time. 

 

It was already 10:00pm. 

 

‘Wow! I hope Kyungsoo doesn’t mind me getting home so late. What if he’s sleeping and I wake him up on accident!?’ he thought, starting to panic a little. 

 

“Holy shit!” the person next to him exclaimed in surprise. 

 

Tao glanced at the person and had to do a double take. Sitting next to him was none other then Kris Wu. The older male was staring at him with wide eyes, his hands pressed to his heart as if he almost died. 

 

Zitao instantly jumped to his feet to try to get away, but he ended up bumping into the people standing in the cramped space. They glared at him and in his fear he sat back down. He would rather deal with a mistake from his past than a bunch of pissed off strangers. 

 

“You freaked me out! What are you doing here? Are you following me or something?” Kris asked, his heart still racing from being startled.

 

“Following you? Why would I follow you?” Tao asked, his fear immediately being replaced with annoyance. 

 

“Did you stalk me here to confess your love for me?”

 

Tao’s jaw dropped at the question. How clueless could this guy be? “Absolutely not!”

 

Kris finally seemed to settle down as he visibly relaxed in his seat. “Why are you here then?”

 

“I was with my friend and now I’m on my way home.”

 

“I guess that makes sense. I’m going home too. Who’s your friend? Did they go to school with us?” 

 

‘He’s just full of questions tonight’ Tao thought with a roll of his eyes. 

 

“You probably don’t remember him, but yeah he was in our class. His name is Suho.” 

 

“The class president!” Kris said in excitement. 

 

Tao was impressed that he knew who Suho was. Tao and Suho weren’t very close in high school since most people were intimidated by Zitao’s fierce looking eyes and Suho was sort of a nerd. “Yeah. How did you know?”

 

Kris smiled smugly, “He cross dressed and did a dance for the talent show. I wouldn’t forget that.”

 

Zitao couldn’t help but laugh at the words. He had almost forgotten about Suho’s performance so many years ago. It was nice to recall the image of him dancing to Girl’s Day ”Something” with a few other guys in front of the whole school. 

 

He stopped laughing when he noticed Kris staring at him with a dazed look. “What?”

 

The dirty blond gave his head a quick shake to refocus. “Did something happen to you? You look a little off” Kris commented as he gave Tao a once over.

 

Zitao tilted his head in confusion and looked at his reflection in the window. He gasped in disgust when he noticed his messy hair and puffy eyes. Apparently sobbing and rolling on the floor in hysteria didn’t improve appearances.

 

“I’m fine” Tao lied, trying to fix his hair. 

 

Kris gave him an unconvinced shrug, “Whatever. So since we’re going to the same place, we might as well stick together.”

 

Zitao inwardly groaned at the suggestion. He definitely didn’t want to spend any more time with his neighbor. It was bad enough he had to live next to him already, so he didn’t need any unnecessary encounters on the side. Still, Kris hadn’t made any passes at him since his arrival. Maybe Zitao could finally relax a little around the older male. 

 

“I guess.”

 

Tao didn’t need to look at Kris to know he was smiling. “Wow! Really!?”

 

“Why are you so surprised?”

 

“Well, ever since we met up in the club you’ve been really jumpy around me. One look at me and you run away as fast as you can” Kris admitted his thoughts to Zitao. 

 

Tao looked away from Kris and down at the floor. Sure, he might be upset with Kris, but he never thought about how unfair his behavior was to the other. Kris had had no idea that Tao liked him in the past. He even thought that Tao already knew that they were only going to have a fling. It didn’t seem right for Tao to hold a grudge against Kris for something that happened five years ago. 

 

But then again, Kris was basically sexually harassing him in the grocery store the other day. 

 

Tao sighed, “I’m sorry about that.” Just once, Tao would give Kris a chance. If Kris could go the night without making any more sexual comments towards him, then maybe they could become friends in the future. 

 

“You don’t need to apologize to me.”

 

Tao continued to stare at the ground, letting the words register in his mind. He covered his mouth to let out another yawn as he leaned back in his seat. 

 

‘Apologize? Did he apologize to me?’ Tao thought, trying to remember what was happening.

 

“You know... There’s something I wanted to talk to you about” Kris said in a serious tone of voice.

 

‘Why’s he so serious? Is this really Kris Wu?’ Tao giggled to himself.

 

Kris didn’t seem to care that Tao was giggling as he continued to talk. “A little while ago, I ran into your friend Baekhyun.”

 

“Bacon” Tao mumbled with a lazy smile. 

 

“Yeah, sure. Anyway, I asked him about you. I’m sorry I did that by the way. The thing is, he told me how you  _ really _ feel about me” Kris started to explain nervously. 

 

‘How I  _ really _ feel?’ 

 

Tao’s lack of a response urged Kris to go on. “He told me that you never moved on from me. He said... He said that you still love me after all these years.”

 

‘I  _ feel _ sleepy.’

 

Kris glanced at Tao, noticing his eyes were closed. ‘He must be in deep thought. I hope he isn’t mad at me or Baekhyun for this’ Kris worried.  

 

Kris swallowed as he turned away from the younger male and tried to force the words out of his mouth. 

 

“You only want me if I love you too, right? The thing is... I don’t really know what love is. Bu-” Kris’s sentence got stuck in his throat when he suddenly felt a soft pressure against his shoulder. 

  
He turned to see that Tao was resting his head on him. His eyes were still closed and his lips were slightly parted. He had fallen asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love how Kris shows up everywhere. Seriously, this is the second time they accidentally ran into each other in the span of one day. XD
> 
> The next chapter is going to be long. I can feel it. Baekhyun and Tao's story will be continued in it.


	9. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zitao and Baekhyun wake up in unfamiliar places.

Brown eyes slowly opened, resting groggily on the plain ceiling above. It resembled the ceiling in his old apartment, causing Tao to nearly forget he had ever moved. Something about his environment felt different though.

 

His mattress seemed firmer than normal and his pillow less fluffy. 

 

He pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his tired eyes. He squinted at his surroundings in wonder. When he unpacked in his new room yesterday, he hadn’t realized there was a large dresser with a flat screen TV hovering above it in the living space. It was weird that he would miss something so noticeable. 

 

When Zitao went to move the sheet off of his body he discovered that they were an olive green color. He knew for a fact that his sheets were blue. 

 

‘What’s going on he-’ his thoughts were interrupted by a soft groan.

 

The blond nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise. His widened eyes shot down to the large lump under the covers next to him. He felt stupid for not noticing someone or something was there until now. 

 

He was frozen in his thoughts, wondering how he ended up sharing a bed with another person. He couldn’t really remember much about last night. He knew he went out to eat with his friends and then ended up at Suho’s place. Zitao vaguely recalled being on a subway train but that part was kind of fuzzy. 

 

‘Did I accidentally go into Kyungsoo’s room? Am I sleeping next to that scary guy!?’

 

The mere thought would no doubt strike terror into the bravest of souls. A shiver ran down Tao’s spine and he let his eyes travel down the expanse of the blanketed lump. On second thought, the lump was too large to belong to his small roommate. 

 

Tao would have been relieved to know that he wasn’t in bed with Kyungsoo, but there was only one other possibility and it wasn’t any less horrifying. 

 

A ghost had to be sleeping next to Tao. The blond knew enough about spirits to know that one was next to him now. He didn’t know how a ghost could change the appearance of his bedroom, unless it was into interior design, but it was the only reasonable explanation. 

 

Zitao gulped nervously as his trembling hand stretched toward the lump. He was terrified, but he needed to check if his suspicions were correct. If he was more awake, he would have already sprinted out of the apartment but he was still sleepy enough to make dumb decisions, unfortunately. 

 

His fingers wrapped around the end of the covers and whipped them off of the other. 

 

Tao let out a high pitched scream as he flinched backward, falling off of the bed painfully. 

 

The other male shot up in the bed, panting heavily in his panic. His eyes met Tao’s and a mixture of emotions appeared on his face. 

 

“Did you just scream?” Kris asked. 

 

“NO!” Tao shouted, too stunned to form a better answer than that. 

 

“Then who did?” 

 

“YOU DID” he fired back. 

 

Kris stared blankly at Zitao for a long while, causing the blond to snap out of his nonsensical state of mind. He felt his face heat up when he thought back on his words. 

 

‘Why do I always act like an idiot when  _ he’s _ around?’ 

 

“Why am I here!?” Tao finally asked the question he was thinking from the start. 

 

Kris smiled in a way that awakened the butterflies in Tao’s stomach. “I ran into you in the subway last night. You fell asleep when we were talking. It was kind of cute.”

 

“Don’t call me cute!” Tao snapped at him, a new wave of embarrassment washing over him. 

 

Kris chuckled before continuing, “Anyway, I tried to wake you up but you wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t just leave you on the train so I carried you here.”

 

Zitao hated that he couldn’t be mad at Kris for doing what he did. Being carried to Kris’s place wasn’t as bad as being abandoned in the city at night. “Why am I at your place? And why your bed?” 

 

“I didn’t want to run into your roommate. He’s especially cranky at night,” Kris explained with a visible shudder.

 

“And?” Tao urged him to finish his answer as he rose to his feet. 

 

“Because I felt like it” Kris grinned, his eyes traveling down Tao’s eyes to his torso. 

 

The blond’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration and embarrassment. He didn’t know why Kris was staring at him like that. Tao followed the other’s gaze only to realize that he was only wearing his boxers. 

 

His hands instantly came up to cover his exposed chest, his face flushing crimson red. He knew that Kris had already got a good, long look at his body but Tao didn’t want to be ogled by the other. 

 

“It’s nothing I haven’t already seen,” the older pointed out with knowing eyes.

 

“What is the meaning of this!? Why am I naked!?”

 

“You aren’t naked,” he corrected, “But we can make that happen if you want.”

 

Zitao picked up the pillow nearest to him and threw it at the other with as much strength as he could muster. “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” 

 

Kris fell onto his back from laughing so hard. Meanwhile, Tao concentrated on his breathing. He couldn’t let his emotions get the best of him. As much as he wanted to punch Kris in his perfect face, he knew he shouldn’t. 

 

“You’re so adorable” Kris cooed, playfully tossing the pillow at Tao’s face. 

 

Zitao glared at Kris before turning to look around the room. He just wanted to get dressed and leave. 

 

“Where are my clothes?” he asked. 

 

Kris shrugged, “Why do you want clothes?” 

 

“Kris,” Tao said in a warning tone of voice. 

 

“Tao,” Kris mimicked teasingly, “You look better this way.”

 

When the older male winked after his sentence, Zitao had finally had enough. He couldn’t tell if he was more flustered or angry and he honestly didn’t care anymore. 

 

He stormed out of Kris’s place without giving it a second thought. He didn’t even care that he was half naked anymore. 

 

\----

 

Baekhyun’s eyes shot open in fear. He could barely breathe and upon opening his eyes, he knew why. Strong arms were wrapped tightly around his body, too tightly, and his face was being pressed against an all too familiar chest. 

 

Baekhyun struggled out of Chanyeol’s grasp, his lungs filling up with much-needed oxygen. He glared down at the man next to him, hating the fact that he had somehow managed to sleep through an attempted murder of some sort. 

 

His anger was cut short when he finally realized his situation. He was at Chanyeol’s place, or rather,  _ still _ at Chanyeol’s place. It went against everything Baekhyun believed in. He only had one night stands, keyword-- _ one _ night! 

 

Once the sexy times were over, Baekhyun always snuck out of the stranger’s house before morning came. It didn’t matter if there was romantic potential or not because Baekhyun wasn’t interested in a relationship. Mostly, he wasn’t interested in the idea of monogamy. He liked having different partners to keep things interesting. He couldn’t even fathom what dating someone would be like. It seemed like the stupidest shit in the world. 

 

‘Why the hell am I still here!?’

 

The brunet slowly slid off of the bed, bare feet shivering as they met the cold floor. Goosebumps littered his naked body as he tiptoed around the room. He had gathered all of his discarded clothing in record time and had his bottom half covered when he heard movement. 

 

Hands appeared on his hips and a body pressed gently against Baekhyun’s back. He could feel smooth flesh brush up against his still exposed back. Soft lips caressed the sensitive skin at the rear of his neck, stopping momentarily to nibble and suck at the same spot. 

 

His heart skipped a beat at the feeling and Baekhyun’s eyes crinkled shut in his attempt to stay  _ calm _ . 

 

‘Think of dead puppies! Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies’ he repeated the same thought over and over again. 

 

“Are you leaving so soon?” Chanyeol asked, voice low and enticing. 

 

Baekhyun swallowed at the implication behind the question, “Yeah.”

 

Teeth suddenly found their way to Baekhyun’s ear, toying at the lobe as his hands rubbed circles into his hips. Baekhyun tensed at the actions, finding it harder and harder to not get turned on. 

 

‘Dead puppies, dead puppies... Ah, why is he doing this? It feels good....’

 

“Do you have time for a round two?” hot breath tickled Baekhyun’s ear and neck.

 

His head lolled back, considering an unprecedented  _ round two _ . The hands at his hips started making their way towards the front of Baekhyun’s jeans. Fingers barely grazed his dick, adding just enough pressure to give him pleasure even through his jeans. It was almost as if Chanyeol was giving him a glimpse of what could be, and all he had to do was say yes. 

 

Baekhyun bit back a moan as the digits repeated the action again, adding more pressure than before. He grabbed Chanyeol’s wrists, harder than necessary, to stop him from taking things any further. 

 

It was already bad enough that he had spent the night, he didn’t need to break another rule so soon, or ever. 

 

“I have to go to work,” he said in a weak voice. 

 

“On a Saturday?”

 

“Sadly, yes” Baekhyun lied. He was actually in between jobs at the moment. 

 

Chanyeol sighed, “That sucks.”

 

The brunet felt relief wash over him the second Chanyeol broke contact and stepped away from him. He kept his back to him as he went to put his shirt on. His nose wrinkled in disgust as his hand brushed against his stomach, feeling some of the remnants from last night’s affair. 

 

Once he was fully dressed, he turned around to face Chanyeol. He was surprised to see that Chanyeol was still close to him, in all of his naked glory. His erection stood proudly, but the giant was somehow able to ignore his arousal. 

 

A lopsided smile spread across his face the instant Baekhyun’s eyes met his. 

 

“I didn’t think you were going to stay the night.”

 

“Neither did I,” Baekhyun said honestly. 

 

“But you did.”

 

Baekhyun felt his stomach do a nervous flip, “Yeah. I did.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes lit up as he gave the smaller male an affectionate look, “I’m happy you stayed.”

 

‘This is why I don’t do this sort of thing! Now the guy thinks I’m boyfriend material or something!’ Baekhyun thought, barely able to hear his own thoughts over his pounding heart. 

 

“Let me walk you to the door at least.”

 

Baekhyun blushed at the gentlemanly offer, not finding it in himself to reject it. When they got to the door, there was an awkward pause where they stared at each other in silence. 

 

‘I suppose he’ll want to kiss me goodbye or ask for my number’ he thought, knowing that he wouldn’t allow either to happen, but wishing he would. 

 

‘What’s wrong with me!?’ 

 

“I had a really great time with you last night,” Chanyeol said with a shy smile.

 

“Aww, I wish I could say the same” Baekhyun lied, using a bitchy attitude to mask his mess of emotions. 

 

A look of utter confusion took over Chanyeol’s features and Baekhyun forced an eye roll before he went out the door, letting it slam behind him. 

 

He sped into the elevator at the end of the hall. Once the door closed, Baekhyun leaned against the side of the wall, a  pained expression on his face as he replayed their conversation. 

  
‘Seriously, what the fuck’s wrong with me!?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for leaving kudos, reading, subscribing, and bookmarking this story! I'm happy you guys are enjoying this!
> 
> Also, this fic was recently added to a Tumblr fanfiction rec that I check on a lot! I wasn't expecting to see my story there. Thanks for recommending this to others! <3  
> Here's a link to the rec: http://taorisfics.tumblr.com


	10. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zitao sees another side of Kyungsoo and phones a desperate friend.

Zitao stormed into his new apartment, relieved that the door was unlocked so he didn’t have to deal with his roommate and went straight to his bedroom. He locked his door and flopped down onto his bed, mentally exhausted. 

 

He didn’t know if he would be able to survive another encounter with Kris. Every time he made a bigger fool of himself, and every time he felt himself wanting to give into the other even more. It was horrifying!

 

Part of him wanted to run back to Suho for comfort, but he knew that would be unfair to his friend. He already wasted enough of his previous night and he felt like Suho could use a break from his drama. Zitao wished he had other friends that wanted to help him, but it seemed like most of them were tired of his whining. 

 

Briefly, he wondered if Kyungsoo had ever experienced something like his relationship with Kris. Maybe the two of them would finally be able to connect over something. 

 

“Yeah right,” he murmured to himself bitterly. 

 

It seemed like Kyungsoo wanted nothing to do with Tao, other than use his money for rent. It would probably be for the best to avoid the smaller male as much as possible.

 

Zitao continued to lay on the bed, stressing over his love life and how hopeless his future was looking, when a startling thought crossed his mind. He had left his wallet and phone in his jeans, and he left his jeans at Kris’s place. 

 

“Shit” he cursed as he got off the bed. 

 

He threw on sweatpants and a hoodie and stomped out of his room. He had successfully made his escape only to return back to the dragon’s nest. Just once, he wanted something to go his way. 

 

On his way out of his room, he noticed Kyungsoo’s bedroom door was slightly open. Zitao, feeling curious and also wanting to stall his visit with Kris, tiptoed to the door and peeked through the crack. It would have been wiser to leave Kyungsoo alone, especially since the contract he signed told him not to disturb his roommate, especially if he was  _ in _ his room, but he couldn’t resist. 

 

The brunet was sitting on his bed, with his back to Tao, looking at the laptop set in front of him. Zitao was barely able to make out what was on the screen. It appeared to be some kind of an anime. The characters on the screen were in the middle of a very intense tennis match. 

 

Tao was mildly amused that Kyungsoo was the kind of person to watch anime in his free time, He was thrown off, however, when he noticed his roommate's shoulders lightly shaking. Zitao wasn’t sure what he was witnessing until he heard a small sniffle come from the other. 

 

‘Is he crying?’ 

 

Suddenly, a timer went off in the kitchen and the show was put on pause. Zitao sprinted into the hallway, praying that his presence wasn’t discovered. 

 

He couldn’t believe his eyes, He had just seen his devil of a roommate crying over an anime! It didn’t even look like a sad scene!

 

If Kyungsoo had feelings, albeit weird ones, maybe there was hope for Tao and him to get along after all. If that was the case, Zitao would forget what he saw and try to be more open-minded when it came to his shorter acquaintance. 

 

With that revelation sorted out, Tao turned his attention to Kris’s front door. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Kris again and he was hoping he could have his belongings returned to him without much difficulty. 

 

With a nervous intake of air, he knocked on the door. 

 

“Come in” Kris, muffled through the door, called from within the apartment. 

 

Zitao entered slowly, spotting Kris almost instantly. The taller male was leaning against his kitchen counter with his arms crossed smugly. He was still shirtless and Tao couldn’t help but take a glance at his body. He had defined abs, toned arms, and his pants were hanging low at his waist, revealing his v line. 

 

Tao gulped at the visual. Kris was always appealing to the eyes, but now more so than he ever was in high school. The blond was a little envious. He had abs too, but he wasn’t nearly as built as Kris. 

 

“You’re staring.”

 

Tao’s eyes snapped back up to meet Kris’s. His meant-to-be glance ended up lasting a lot longer than he had originally planned it to. 

 

The taller male was giving him a knowing look that had Tao’s face heating up at a rapid pace. 

 

“It’s revenge for staring at me earlier” he defended himself quickly. 

 

Kris shook his head in disbelief, “I don’t remember you being this stubborn in high school.”

 

“I came back for the clothes you stole from me,” Tao said, trying to redirect the conversation. 

 

“Is that the excuse you came up with for wanting to see me?” 

 

Tao ignored the provocation and tapped his foot expectantly. From past experience, fighting with Kris only encouraged his annoying behavior. So, until the older male cooperated, Tao was going to give him the silent treatment. 

 

Kris stared at him for a while, most likely waiting for a response, when he finally let out a defeated sigh. “Alright, fine. But you need to ask nicely first.”

 

“Give me my stuff back.”

 

“What’s the magic word?” Kris asked in a sing-song voice. 

 

Tao glowered at the other. He couldn’t believe how immature he was being. “Give me my clothes back, please,” he asked with a forced smile. 

 

Kris smiled back, flashing his pearly white teeth attractively. “No problemo!” 

 

He moved away from the counter and disappeared into his bedroom for a few minutes. When he returned, he was carrying the desired clothing. Tao grabbed the clothes from his arms and held them tightly against his chest in a protective manner. He would never let his precious, Gucci clothes be stolen again! 

 

“I was trying to talk to you about something important before you fell asleep on the subway last night” Kris started in a serious tone. 

 

“I’m sorry Kris, but I’d like to go home now. If you want to tell me something, I’m sure you can wait a little while longer,” Zitao said, retreating from Kris’s home before a response could come. 

 

“I see you’ve finally returned” an ominous voice spoke out of nowhere as soon as Zitao arrived back at his own place. 

 

He jumped in surprise as his eyes shot to the couch, where Kyungsoo was currently sitting. His legs were crossed, arms folded in his lap, and staring up at Tao with an almost professional air around him. 

 

Zitao could only manage a small nod. 

 

“You didn’t come home last night.”

 

“I stayed at a friend’s house,” Tao informed. 

 

“I was worried that you weren’t going to come back. A lot of potential roommates ended up leaving after they met me. I figured the same was going to happen with you, but you signed all of the paperwork and kept your belongings here.”

 

“I want to move in here” Tao reassured Kyungsoo, noticing a hint of sadness in his eyes, “With you.”

 

An inkling of a smile appeared on Kyungsoo’s face as he looked down at the coffee table in front of him. “That’s good to hear because I sent your paperwork to the landlord. You’re an official resident.”

 

Joy bubbled up inside of Zitao. Kyungsoo was keeping him around after all! “Thank you!”

 

“It’s fine. I need to go run some errands now, I’ll be back in a few hours,” the smaller said as he rose to his feet, “Do you want anything special to eat tonight?” 

 

“Spaghetti maybe?” Tao suggested in awe. He was stunned by the kindness his roommate was showing him. 

 

“Okay,” Kyungsoo said as he left the apartment, leaving a very confused Tao. 

 

Zitao walked over to the couch, sat down, and pulled out his phone. It seemed like the perfect time to apologize to Suho for his ranting. He was halted in his intentions when he noticed a mass amount of texts he had received from Baekhyun. The messages were begging Tao to call him. 

 

He furrowed his brows in perplexity. What could Baekhyun possibly want from  _ him _ of all people? 

 

He dialed Baekhyun’s number and waited for him to pick up. He was concerned by his friend’s behavior. Maybe it was some type of an emergency. After all, he lived with Sehun and Suho. If he needed any help, he could just go to one of them. 

 

“OH MY GOSH TAO! YOU FINALLY CALLED ME!!” Baekhyun shouted in glee. 

 

Tao covered his ear in pain. He forgot how little control his friend had over his volume. “Baekhyun, quiet down! You’re going to shatter my eardrums!” 

 

“Oh, sorry! I just really need to talk to you!” 

 

“About what? Is something wrong?” 

 

“Yes! Something is  _ terribly _ wrong!’

 

Zitao tensed at the words. He was right about Baekhyun! It  _ was _ some kind of emergency! “What is it!?” 

 

“It’s about Chanyeol!” 

 

“Chanyeol? Who’s that?” 

 

“He’s one of Kris’s friends. Remember? I forced you to be my wingman when I was talking to him.”

 

“Kris has friends? I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

 

Baekhyun sighed dramatically into the phone, “Chanyeol the  _ elf _ . Do you remember now?”

 

“Oh yeahhh! I totally forgot about that guy! What about him?” 

 

“It’s horrible Tao! I slept with him... and... I stayed the night!” Baekhyun revealed.

 

Zitao blanked. Apparently, Baekhyun was not experiencing a real emergency. But he had to admit he was a little astonished to hear Baekhyun had spent the night. “Why?”

 

“I fell asleep Tao! He was warm and soft and... It just happened!” Baekhyun explained.

 

Tao smiled lightheartedly at his friend's explanation. He understood what Baekhyun was saying all too well. He had to go through that shit feeling all the time. “You like him.”

 

“Like him!? Are you an idiot!? That jerk must have roofied me or something! He even tried to murder me in the morning! He was trying to squeeze the life out of me, but luckily I was able to escape his evil clutches!” 

 

Zitao couldn’t contain his laughter. He was so used to the confident, lustful Baekhyun. Now, Baekhyun was thrown for a loop and it was an utter riot for Tao. 

 

“Don’t laugh at me, panda! This is serious! He even had the audacity to try to seduce me again! Can you believe that!?” 

 

“I already told you!” Tao tried to suppress his giggles, “That weird feeling inside of you, the one you’re trying to deny exists. Well, it’s there because you like Chanyeol.”

 

“What kind of  _ like _ ?” 

 

“The like that turns into love,” Zitao described, finding it funny how childish Baekhyun was being. 

 

“I will not accept that!”

 

“Join the party.” 

 

The other line went quiet for a little while. Zitao wondered what was going through his friend’s head now. “Baekhyun? Are you still there?”

 

“We need to come up with a plan,” Baekhyun spoke, starting to sound like his normal, feisty self. 

 

“Plan?”

 

“You love Kris but you don’t want to and I don’t want to develop feelings for Chanyeol. Now that I kind of get what you’ve been crying about lately, I think I might be able to help you.”

 

Tao perked up at the notion. Baekhyun almost never offered to help others, and Tao was curious to see what the smaller had planned. “What were you thinking?”

 

“I’m going to need time to work out the details, but you need to promise to help me too. Okay?” 

 

“I promise.”

 

“Alright. Meet me at my apartment next week Friday and dress like you’re going to a party!” Baekhyun instructed him and hung up the phone. 

  
Zitao stared at his phone in wonder. He had no idea what Baekhyun had planned for him, but he was running out of options on how to deal with Kris. If he didn’t do something fast, he might never get over his feelings for his neighbor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to everyone who reads, leaves kudos, bookmarks, subscribes, and comments! You guys give me the motivation to update more and I hope I don't disappoint! 
> 
> Tune in next time to learn the extent of Baekhyun's plan! <3


	11. The Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kris has a conversation with his friends and Tao learns the extent of Baekhyun's plan.

Kris, Chanyeol, and Kai were all sitting on the couch in Kai’s studio flat. Originally, the three of them had decided to hang out and watch a game on TV, but that all changed the second Chanyeol arrived. The brunet instantly started going on and on about Baekhyun. 

 

It was impossible to concentrate with his constant rambling. 

 

Apparently, he had a really good time with Baekhyun, but in the morning the smaller male had acted like their experience was nothing but a mistake. 

 

Kris didn’t know what to say to comfort his friend. True, he had gone through a similar experience with Tao, but he never felt any strong romantic feelings toward anyone before and he’d only ever sought people out for sexual experiences so he didn’t have any advice to give. Normally, he’d talk shit about Baekhyun to cheer Chanyeol up, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that either. Baekhyun was a friend of Tao’s, one who had even shed some light on the panda’s odd behavior. 

 

He didn’t know why that mattered, but it did. 

 

“If he was treating you like shit, you should just forget about him. He was probably just using you for pleasure so you shouldn’t get too attached,” Kai advised. 

 

Chanyeol groaned, “That’s what I thought at first but...”

 

“But what?” Kris asked.

 

“After we did it... He cuddled up next to me and he was so cute and content. I couldn’t look away. Thinking back on it now makes my heart hurt.”

 

“Shit man. You’re in deep now,” Kai said. 

 

Chanyeol looked at Kai questioningly, “It’s not like I’m in love with him. It doesn’t happen that fast.”

 

Kai patted his back sympathetically, “A few weeks ago, I accidentally watched this weird documentary about love at first sight. I think you might have found your soulmate or something.” 

 

“How did you  _ accidentally _ watch a documentary?” Kris asked with a raised brow. 

 

Kai rolled his eyes and faced Chanyeol expectantly. 

 

“If we were soulmates, wouldn’t Baekhyun like me back?”

 

Kai didn’t know how to answer his friend so he turned to Kris instead. “So have you fucked Tao yet or no?”

 

Kris folded his arms in frustration, “Unfortunately, no. However, I think he’s starting to warm up to me a little bit.”

 

“Oh really?” the youngest asked. 

 

“Yeah. Now that I know he has feelings for me I’ve been trying to be less aggressive. I don’t want to scare him away again.”

 

“It’s kind of weird that you haven’t been with anyone since you reunited with Tao, though. Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him too?” Kai questioned with a sly grin. 

 

Kris stayed quiet. He honestly didn’t even notice the lack of hookups in his life and he tried to block out the “fallen for him” part. It was true that weird feelings were stirring up inside of Kris ever since his club encounter with Tao, but he didn’t want to dwell on it. 

 

“Well since we aren’t even watching the game anymore, why don’t we go out tonight? Maybe Kris can get laid. Maybe we’ll run into Baekhyun and Channie can try to woo him. Either way, I’m too sober to hear you two whine about your crushes,” Kai suggested as he rose from the couch and stretched his limbs. 

 

Chanyeol seemed to perk up a bit at the prospect of seeing Baekhyun again. Kris, on the other hand, agreed but wasn’t very eager about it. 

 

\----

 

Zitao knocked on the door but before a single second could pass, the door swung open and he was suddenly pulled into the apartment by an extremely excited Baekhyun. 

 

“What took you so long to get here!?” 

 

“What do you mean? This is the exact time you wanted me here” Tao countered. 

 

“It’s impossible to reason with him,” Sehun said from the kitchen, where he was ruthlessly digging through the fridge. 

 

Baekhyun glared at Sehun’s back before he turned back to Tao with a wide smile on his face. He gave him a once over and then waved his thumb in the air. “ _ Damn _ Tao. You really know how to fancy up.”

 

Zitao tilted his head in confusion. He was wearing black ripped jeans that were tight in all the right places, a sleeveless black shirt with a gray pattern on the front. Silver necklaces, a bracelet, several rings, earrings,  and black sneakers added to his sexy, badass concept. To complete the look, his blond hair was tousled messily to give off a windblown style. Tao prided himself on his fashion sense, but he usually stuck to a casual but model-like fashion so he wouldn’t gather any unwanted attention. 

 

“This is what you consider fancy?” Tao asked in wonder. He usually connected the word fancy to tuxedos and suits. 

 

Baekhyun bobbed his head enthusiastically as Sehun entered the area. He was carrying containers of yogurt, ice cream, maple syrup, shredded cheese, and a bottle of soda. Tao didn’t know how one person could eat so much food or why they would ever want to eat that combination. 

 

“Wow. I had no idea you had an ass like that,” Sehun commented as he passed by Tao to get to the living room.  

 

Tao blushed at the compliment, not used to the attention, especially from Sehun. He watched as Sehun sat down on the couch, placed his feet on the coffee table unceremoniously, and started mixing all of his ingredients together. Tao knew that Sehun and Baekhyun would only be able to get away with such poor manners if their other roommate, Suho, wasn’t around. 

 

“Where’s Suho?” 

 

“He’s spending the night at Xiumin’s” Baekhyun answered while he made kissing faces. 

 

“With all of the pent up sexual tension between Xiumin and Suho, I’m surprised one of them hasn't spontaneously combusted,” Sehun said from the other room. 

 

Baekhyun nodded in agreement, “Yeah. It’s been a month since their last fuck.”

 

Tao decided not to ask them how they knew so much about their relationship. “So, are you going to tell me about your plan now?”

 

A sudden knock at the door startled Tao and stopped Baekhyun from replying. The smaller friend skipped to the entryway and opened the door. The brunet on the other side of the door was unfamiliar to Tao. 

 

“You must be Chen!” Baekhyun greeted the stranger. 

 

“Yeah, hello” he confirmed shyly. 

 

Baekhyun pulled Chen inside the apartment with as much as enthusiasm as he had Tao. “Welcome! I’m Baekhyun, this is Tao, and you already know Sehun!” 

 

Chen waved to Sehun and then turned back to Tao and Baekhyun. “It’s nice to meet the two of you.”

 

“What’s he doing here?” Tao whispered hurriedly into Baekhyun’s ear. He had no idea what Chen had to do with the master plan his friend had prepared. 

 

Baekhyun ignored the question and started to explain his plan to everyone, “Tao, you want Kris to leave you alone but as long as he thinks he has a chance with you, he won’t back off. Which is why Chen is here.”

 

Zitao furrowed his brow in bafflement. He was still lost as to how Chen was going to add to the plan. 

 

“The three of us are going to the club tonight and you’re going to convince Kris that you’ve moved on from him.”

 

“How am I going to convince Kris?” 

 

“Stop interrupting me!” Baekhyun snapped and then continued, “Chen isn’t affiliated with Kris or his friends, so you two are going to dance and then leave the club together. It’s foolproof!” 

 

“That’s your plan!?” Tao exclaimed, “You want me to dance with a complete stranger and that’s going to be enough to get Kris to leave me alone? What if he’s not even at the club?” 

 

Baekhyun pondered for a moment, “Hopefully, Kris is there... However, my plan is still foolproof!” 

 

“Also, I’m not a total stranger. I’m a friend of Sehun’s and I’m in on the plan. Unless you’d prefer to dance with a  _ real _ stranger that might expect something  _ more _ from you, you should be thankful I agreed to be a part of this weird scheme,” Chen added. 

 

Tao had to admit that Chen had a point. “Okay, but why  _ did _ you agree to do this?” 

 

“I’ve been teaching Chen how to dance free of charge for a while now. But when Baekhyun started telling me about his plan, he asked me if I knew anyone that could help. The only person I know that Kris isn’t familiar with is Chen,” Sehun explained through a full mouth of food. 

 

“I decided to help as a form of payment,” Chen shrugged, “Also, it sounded kind of fun.” 

 

Tao’s mouth fell agape at Chen’s nonchalance. ‘How could he think this sounds fun!?’ 

 

“Right, so now that everyone has agreed to my genius plan, let me go into the juicy details” Baekhyun chattered as he rubbed his hands together mischievously. 

 

“Who said I agreed!?” Tao cried out in exasperation. 

 

Of course, he was ignored. 

 

“Tao, you may remember from our phone call, that you promised to help me too. Well, here’s what I need you to do. When you and Chen meet up on the dance floor, I’m going to try to seduce someone as well. I don’t want you guys to leave until it becomes clear that I’ve baited someone fuckable.”

 

“Why do you want us to stay?” Chen asked.

 

“I’m hopi-, no expecting, that Chanyeol is going to be at the club as well. I need him to see that I’m a player, but I’m worried that he might try to talk to me,” Baekhyun explained, not caring that Chen had no idea who Chanyeol was, “If he tries to talk to me, I want Tao to wushu him away.”

 

Zitao huffed at the explanation, “For the last time Baekhyun, I only use wushu for self-defense. I’m not going to beat your  _ elf _ up just because you can’t accept your feelings for him.”

 

“Yeah, I’m not going to ask,” Chen mumbled to himself, feeling uncomfortable. 

 

“He is not an elf! What is with you people!? Did you guys just watch  _ The Hobbit _ or something!?” 

 

“We had a  _ Lord of the Rings _ movie marathon a month ago, remember?” Sehun mentioned from the living room, “Actually, you were with us too Baek.” 

 

“That’s enough from you Oh Sehun!” Baekhyun snapped at the younger male viciously. He looked like a growling beagle, which was cuter than threatening. 

 

Sehun continued to shove junk food into his mouth, not acknowledging Baekhyun’s words. 

 

“I won’t use martial arts on Chanyeol but I’ll get him to go away if he bothers you, okay?” Tao tried to negotiate. 

 

Baekhyun sighed in defeat, “Alright, fine. Just remember not to leave me if I’m dancing by myself.”

 

“Don’t worry, we have your back!” Chen reassured him, feeling relieved that the conversation had morphed into something he could understand again. 

 

Baekhyun smiled at Chen appreciatively but soon frowned. He fiddled his fingers nervously as he tried to form his next sentence. “Listen, guys. When I say you two have to dance with each other and then leave the club together... Well, you guys have to dance  _ sexually _ to make your fake intentions clear to the onlookers.”

 

“WHAT!?” Tao panicked.

 

At the same time that Tao shrieked, Chen grinned and said, “Obviously.”

 

Afterward, the two gave each other surprised looks since they had reactions that were the polar opposite of each other. 

 

“Sorry I never taught you how to grind, Chen,” Sehun apologized emotionlessly. 

 

Chen rolled his eyes, “It’s not like grinding is hard.”

 

“Grinding might not be, but it might make one of you  _ hard _ ,” Baekhyun teased, only after sending a dirty look Sehun’s way. He already told the younger to shut his mouth. 

 

Tao’s face went beet red. Kris was the only person that had ever touched him in a sexual way, so he was very sensitive “down there”. Grinding with someone was already embarrassing enough, but if he ended up popping a very likely boner it would be even more awkward. 

 

He eyed Chen again, only to learn that he was  _ very _ attractive. He was lithe with brown hair that curled at the ends, coffee-colored eyes, milky skin, and lips that quirked up in a naturally appealing way. 

 

In other words, Chen was hot as hell. 

 

“This isn’t a good idea!” Zitao sputtered out, almost frantic. 

 

Chen cocked his head cutely, “Why?” 

 

Baekhyun giggled as he addressed Chen, “It’s a great idea! Tao’s just scared that you might  _ rile him up _ .”

 

Zitao punched Baekhyun’s bicep and gave him an embarrassed glare. 

 

“Ah, I get it,” Chen chuckled as he patted Tao’s back, “Don’t worry, if a situation should  _ arise _ , I won’t get upset. It’s a natural thing that every man has to deal with, right?” 

 

Tao looked down at his feet, “Yeah...” 

 

“Enough fussing around! We need to get to the club ASAP! We can’t keep our  _ fans _ waiting,” Baekhyun said. 

  
Tao didn’t know if he liked what he had gotten himself into, but he felt that it was too late to back out. Gathering all of the courage he could, he led the way out of the apartment. Pretty soon, he wouldn’t have to deal with Kris any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long to write! I went through major writer's block and it took me a while to finish this (surprisingly long) chapter. 
> 
> I hope everyone appreciates the return of Chen! We will be seeing much more of him in the future!! :D
> 
> Subject Of The Day: Boners... apparently.


	12. The Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao discovers that the plan is more fun than he originally thought it would be. Chen can sort of agree. Baekhyun needs to be careful.

The flashing lights and blasting music weren’t as headache inducing as Tao’s last visit to the club, but he wasn’t any happier to be there. One look at the dance floor had his heart pounding in his chest. It seemed busier than usual and Tao didn’t like being around large groups of people, especially when those people were drunk and horny. 

 

His mouth went dry as he scanned the club. Bodies of all shapes and sizes were dancing to the erratic beats, hands on waists, and lips against skin. The smell of sweat, perfume, and alcohol was suddenly too overwhelming and Zitao wanted to throw up.

 

Dainty fingers yanked down on the collar of his shirt and Tao found himself eye level with Baekhyun. The brunet didn’t seem to notice his discomfort. 

 

“They’re at the bar.”

 

Zitao followed his gaze and sure enough, three familiar men were drinking at the bar. Kai and Kris were talking to a couple of girls while Chanyeol threw back a shot or two. Kris looked really good in his red jeans and white button down shirt. He looked like a model and the girls were all over him, but his charms only reached his smile, not his eyes. 

 

“Alright, so you remember the plan?” 

 

Tao turned back to his friend who was now staring at him. His eyes appeared droopier than usual, even with his eyeliner, and his lips were pulled into a tight line. He had never seen the expression on Baekhyun’s face before, but Tao was sure that he was nervous. 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And you won’t leave until when, again?” 

 

The blond arched a brow at his friend’s question. “I won’t leave you unless you’re dancing with someone.” He had lost count of how many times he had already had to reassure Baekhyun. 

 

Baekhyun nodded his head with a sigh, pushing Tao toward the dance floor. “Very good, panda. Now get out there and show Kris who he’s really dealing with.”

 

Zitao regretted coming to the nightclub the second he was shoved into the dancing mass of strangers. He did his best to ignore the wandering hands as he made his way further into the horde. He needed to get closer to the bar so that Kris would notice him but he also needed to make sure Chen could find him as well. Tao glanced in every direction until he pinpointed Baekhyun’s location. 

 

The brunet was maybe twenty feet away. His eyes were closed as his body swayed seductively to the music. Tao took notice of how his small hands ran smooth motions up and down his body. Already, people were starting to take interest in his tempting friend. Hell, even Tao was beginning to question how he’d never noticed how sexy Baekhyun was until now. 

 

‘I can’t believe I need to dance like that. I’m going to look like an idiot.’ 

 

Tearing his gaze away from his friend, Tao glanced toward the bar. The girls weren’t there anymore and neither was Kai. Chanyeol was holding an empty shot glass, but he was watching a certain someone out of the corner of his eyes. The bartender had just passed a drink Kris’s way when the dirty blond turned around in his barstool. Under some miracle or curse, his eyes met Tao’s from across the room. 

 

Kris took a swig of his drink while maintaining eye contact. When he finished off the alcohol, his head tilted ever so slightly and a playful smirk spread across his face. Tao wanted to run and hide, which wasn’t an uncommon instinct for him to have when it came to Kris, but his legs wouldn't move. All he could do was stare helplessly into Kris’s dark eyes. 

 

Tao was snapped out of his trance when a hand brushed against his waist. The contact sent a shiver down his spine and the blond peeked over his shoulder to see that Chen had finally come over. The corners of his lips were curved up friskily, but then again the half-smile seemed to be a natural trait of his. 

 

“It took me forever to find you,” he said in a low voice and Tao hid his face in embarrassment. 

 

Chen took another step so that he was pressed into Tao’s back, making the blond flinch at their closeness. The brunet’s hands found their way to Tao’s hips, where his grip tightened.

 

“Don’t freak out. It’s just me.”

 

Zitao took a deep breath to try to calm down his restless nerves. The fingers at his sides loosened their tight hold of him and Chen’s thumbs started massaging his waist soothingly. 

 

“Fuck, you’re tall.” 

 

“Sorry,” Tao gasped out. 

 

“Don’t apologize. It’s just weird. It’s like our roles should be switched or something, but that wouldn’t make sense either since you’re more girly than me.”

 

Tao felt the oddly intimate position they were in become less weird by the second. Chen’s lighthearted chatter reminded him that they were in a platonic relationship and that he shouldn’t get too bothered by whatever it was they were doing. 

 

“I’m going to move now” Chen warned him and not soon after, the smaller male’s pelvis was moving against Tao’s ass. 

 

The consistent pressure moving along his butt felt weird at first. He wasn’t used to anyone touching him there but it wasn’t turning him on either, not that he was complaining. He couldn’t help but bring his his eyes back to the bar, widening in surprise when he realized that Kris was still watching him.

 

He had an unreadable expression and Tao felt his face heat up. Now that he knew that Kris was staring at him, he needed to take advantage of it. If he was going to make him believe that he was interested in Chen, then he was going to have to reciprocate the dancing. 

 

Tao noticed a couple in front of him were in the same position as Chen and him. He took a moment to analyze how they were moving together so that he could apply it to his dance with Chen. 

 

He locked eyes with Kris and grinned at him with newfound confidence. He had gotten a good idea of what he could do to really  _ get to _ Kris. Slowly, Tao started swaying his hips with the music. He placed his hands on top of Chen’s and started directing them around his torso as they rocked together at a quickening pace. 

 

“Shit!” Chen hissed out from behind and Tao realized that something hard was grinding against him. 

 

He couldn’t blame Chen for getting turned on. After all, he was practically dry humping Tao and it probably felt good  _ down there _ . Feeling Kris’s eyes still burning into him, Tao started to feel hotter and hotter. He suddenly spun around so that he was facing Chen, catching the smaller off guard. 

 

“Tao, shit, wait.” 

 

Ignoring Chen’s quiet words, Tao wrapped his arms around Chen’s neck and he instinctively did the same around Tao’s waist. They continued to grind into each other in the new position until Tao was just as erect as the other. Their movements were getting more and more sloppy as they both tried to desperately find their release. 

 

Zitao bit back his moans as he started bucking his hips so that his clothed arousal rubbed against Chen’s thigh. The brunet seemed to get more enjoyment from the small shift and less than a minute, they both reached their climax.

 

They leaned on each other for support as they rode down their highs, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Chen was the first to fully recover as he looked up at Tao with narrowed eyes. 

 

“No one can know about this.”

 

Zitao nodded his head in agreement. If his friends ever found out that he came in his pants while dancing with Chen, he’d never live it down. Now that he thought about what just happened, he wanted to cry from the humiliation. At least, he wasn’t the only one who  _ suffered _ . 

 

“Let’s get out of here,” Chen suggested. 

 

Tao checked to see how Baekhyun was doing and was relieved to see that he was in fact, dancing with another man. 

 

“Okay,” he agreed and followed an all too eager Chen out of the building. 

 

As they made their way through the front doors, Tao couldn’t help himself from stealing one last glance at the bar. Only this time, Kris was nowhere to be seen.  

 

\----

 

Going their separate ways, Baekhyun found himself lost in the energetic haze of everyone around him. Their faces blurred together, limbs flailing in drunken dancing, and eyes glazed over in lust and exhaustion. He didn’t mind the smell of body odor and cosmetics or when someone bumped into him every now and then, causing him to stumble but never actually fall. 

 

He was used to it all. Maybe he was a little too used to it. He went out every weekend, sometimes frequenting bars during the week as well, whatever he could to get a decent fuck. He didn’t know why he had such a powerful sex drive and he didn’t really care. Sex felt good and Baekhyun wasn’t going to refuse euphoria in a drugless form. 

 

The music was so loud that Baekhyun could feel the bass shaking his core, urging him back into the atmosphere around him. He let his eyes close as he lazily rolled his hips in a more open area in the club. It was an invitation to those around him. Anyone who bothered to notice his presence was more than welcome to try and sweep him off his feet. Anyone but Chanyeol. 

 

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He needed to stop thinking about the dorky giant. He was surprised that he even remembered his name anymore. It had been a full week since their regretful night together and Baekhyun made a habit of not knowing his partner’s names. 

 

An image of the dark haired man flashed in his mind. His innocent looking eyes crinkled in amusement, matching his pleasantly wide smile. He had a perfect smile that revealed almost every tooth in his mouth and Baekhyun wanted to take the time to count them if he ever got the chance. 

 

‘Wait! What the fuck am I thinking!?’ 

 

He shook his head to clear his jumble of idiotic thoughts. He wasn’t drunk but he might as well be with the lack of control he had over his mind. Luckily, before he could daydream about the other anymore, large hands grabbed his hips from behind. 

 

‘Oh thank god.’

 

Baekhyun continued to sway his body, now rubbing himself into the person behind him. The stranger rested his cheek on the back of Baekhyun’s head as they moved to the music, which was now a dull hum in the back of his mind. All he could concentrate on now were the hands that were sliding down his waist and toward his inner thigh. 

 

A moan slipped past his lips, though he doubted the sound could be heard over the noises of the club. He lifted his arms above his head so that his fingers could curl into the stranger’s short hair. He used it as an anchor to keep him standing while the other palmed at Baekhyun’s crotch. 

 

“You like that babe?” the stranger whispered. His voice was deep and his breath tickled Baekhyun’s ear. 

 

He didn’t directly answer the question, choosing instead to thrust backward, rubbing his ass against the man’s apparent hard on. A groan sounded from the other, encouraging Baekhyun to keep at it. He was rewarded with the man’s hands pushing harder against his own arousal and his breath hitched in anticipation. 

 

“You’re such a little slut.”

 

Baekhyun barely caught the words in his pleasure but he heard them nonetheless. The man spoke them in a teasing voice and Baekhyun decided to not be offended. The man probably got off on slut-shaming and the attempt at dirty talking  _ did _ turn him on a little more. 

 

“You love this, don’t you? You take everything so well. Just like last time.” 

 

Baekhyun froze. 

 

“Is something wrong, Baekhyun?”

 

The voice didn’t sound familiar in the slightest but if he had to take a guess, the man was probably one of his past partners. He never ran into any of his past fucks before, and he was more than happy about it. The last thing he needed was someone coming after him, looking for a lasting relationship or something. The man’s voice was hardened now, dark and intimidating and Baekhyun was starting to worry. 

 

He tried to walk out of the strangers hold but the man pulled him in tighter. Baekhyun started to panic and struggle against the other but it was to no avail. He thrashed wildly and kicked his legs to try to escape but the other dug his fingers into Baekhyun’s flesh. He flinched from the pain that would surely leave bruises behind. The pain was starting to make him dizzy and he was getting tired of fighting so he had to still his wasted efforts. 

 

“That’s much better,” the stranger hummed.

 

“What do you want?” Baekhyun snapped.

 

“You have quite the mouth on you. I think I’d like it better with my dick inside it.”

 

Baekhyun was livid at the comment. He kicked his heel back with as much power as he could muster, trying to replicate the moves he learned in hapkido classes years ago. He managed to hit the man’s foot and his grip loosened enough for the brunet to get free. 

 

He took a few fast steps forward, trying to maneuver through the intoxicated crowd but bony fingers ensnared his wrist and tugged him back. His footing was thrown off and he had to catch himself on the man’s chest. His arms were around Baekhyun again in a vice grip that completely immobilized the brunet. 

 

“I’m not done with you yet,  _ Baekhyun _ . You came to me when I was depressed and alone, one step away from ending my own life.” 

 

Baekhyun wriggled his shoulders in a last ditch effort to escape but it was useless. He heard the other’s words and he knew that the man was pissed at him and he didn’t want to stick around to find out why. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much of a choice. 

 

‘Where the fuck is Tao!?’ 

 

“You told me to cheer up and we went back to my place. You said a lot to me that night. You promised me that you would stay with me to keep me happy forever but you were gone the next day.”

 

The memory was there, hidden behind a booze installed barrier in Baekhyun’s brain. It was another stupid thing that Baekhyun did when he was still a college student with a god complex and an even hornier personality. 

 

“You made all of that up just so I’d fuck you” the man growled out and if it was even possible for his grip to get tighter, it did. 

 

“Yeah? So what if I did?” Baekhyun spat the words, “You were the one who was stupid enough to believe me.”

 

It was probably dumb to insult his attacker but Baekhyun wasn’t going to start begging for forgiveness either. He did what he did and there was no point denying it now. He’d probably do it again if he was drunk enough.

 

“I was vulnerable and you said all of the right things. I fell in love with you that night. I fell in love with you but you ran off without a care in the world. I looked for you, thinking that an emergency might have come up, only to find out that you’re just a selfish whore.”

 

Baekhyun laughed at that. Cold and harsh, he laughed. “You fell in love with me!? _ Love _ !? It was one fucking night and you fell head over heels in love with  _ me _ !?” 

 

The man was silent as Baekhyun’s amusement died down to uncaring snickering. 

 

“You’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met,” Baekhyun said with an emotionless face as he tilted his head back so that he could finally see the face of the stranger. 

 

He looked younger than Baekhyun with blond hair and pale skin. His face was stern with eyebrows knitted together in frustration and dark eyes burning holes into Baekhyun’s soul. It was more than clear that the man was not happy. 

 

Baekhyun thought it was funny that the man’s face wasn’t familiar either. 

 

“You hurt me, Baekhyun. You hurt me a lot. And now I’m going to hurt you.”

 

It was a threat, plain as day and Baekhyun was trapped in the web of the spider. He tried wriggling again as his adrenaline kicked in. He didn’t know how the man intended to hurt him, but Baekhyun wanted no part of it. 

 

The man’s arms moved from around his body to around his neck in less than a second and Baekhyun was forced into a chokehold. He felt pressure against his throat, blocking his airwaves and his struggle was becoming more frantic.

 

His wide eyes searched the crowd around him, begging anyone to come help him, but no one was paying attention. He wanted to scream for help but the sound wouldn’t be enough either, not that he could when he couldn’t even breathe anymore. 

 

His head was throbbing and his vision was dotting with black. He was going to pass out... or die. 

 

Suddenly the arms around him fell away and Baekhyun toppled over weakly. The floor was sticky and cold but Baekhyun was more concerned with getting air back into his lungs to be disgusted. He was lightheaded and scared and when he turned around to see his attacker he was met with a much different sight. 

 

The blond was standing with a hand cradling his jaw that was already purple and swollen. Blood trickled from his parted lips and his rage filled eyes were pointed in a direction that Baekhyun wasn’t. 

 

The man was glaring at Chanyeol. 

 

Chanyeol’s hands were clenched into fists, one red from the impact of punching someone at full strength. A fire burned in his eyes as he stared down his opponent. 

 

“What was that for!?”

 

“I saw everything and the police are on their way,  _ buddy _ . Don’t act like the victim” Chanyeol said, tone dripping with venom.

 

The blond turned toward Baekhyun then, his lips curled in an unattractive sneer. “You got another guy wrapped around your finger now, huh? That won’t last long.”

 

Chanyeol took a step closer to the blond and their attention was back on each other again. “If you don’t leave my sight right now, something really bad is going to happen to you.” He cracked his knuckles as a hint and the blond frowned before scurrying away from them. 

 

Baekhyun had finally recovered and he rose onto shaky legs. He needed to bolt before Chanyeol could get any closer. He needed to find Chen and Tao. If they were still in the building they would have noticed what was going down, so they had to have left already. It was irritating that they weren’t around when he needed them the most. 

 

Before he could flee the scene, Chanyeol turned to him. He wasn’t smiling. He was glaring at him with more anger than he had directed at the man from before. 

 

‘Shit, fuck, dick, a-’ he inwardly cursed.

 

He was petrified under the other’s gaze. When he walked over to him and held his hand he was still as a statue and when Chanyeol led him out of the club, he followed like a mindless drone. 

 

How could he run from Chanyeol when the only thing he wanted to do was hug him and kiss him? How could he run when Chanyeol looked at him with so much fury that Baekhyun wanted to dig his own grave and die in it? How could he run when their fingers were fit together like a puzzle?

 

They got into a cab wordlessly. He should have jumped out of the moving vehicle or talked to the younger male but he was too preoccupied with wondering why his heart was thundering in his chest. 

  
‘We’re still holding hands.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was long... again. It's not a good or bad thing really. It just takes me a long time to write long chapters. Anyway, the first part escalated and the last part REALLY escalated. Baekhyun and Chanyeol left the club together which is exciting but also interesting since he's not in a good mood. You guys might not like Baekhyun as much anymore either... I sort of wrote him as a jerk this chapter... meh. 
> 
> Next chapter will probably be even longer! )':
> 
> I think you guys will enjoy it. Chen's role in the story will grow more and more. In two chapters, the Laychen story is going to start so that's fun. 
> 
> Kaisoo is gonna start soon too. I might devote a chapter to Suho x Xiumin but that won't be til later probably. 
> 
> No one seems to mind that I haven't introduced Luhan into the story yet. lol
> 
> Soon...


	13. The Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tao goes home and Baekhyun and Chanyeol discuss personal matters.

“So did Christoph see us dancing or was our dry humping done in vain?” Chen asked as the two walked in the darkened city. 

 

Zitao felt his cheeks heat up at the question. He was more than a little shocked that their dancing had escalated so quickly. He didn’t think he had it in himself to do something like that in a public place. Normally, he would have been too embarrassed to even consider it, but  _ he _ had been the one to initiate their more intimate position. 

 

“His name is Kris,” he corrected, trying to seem indifferent to the topic, “And yes. He definitely saw us dancing.”

 

Chen’s eyes sparkled in amusement, “Oh really? How did he react?” 

 

Tao thought about it for a moment. He remembered the dirty blond staring at him with a playful smirk when he was alone but he couldn’t quite place the expression he wore once Chen showed up. He looked like he was in deep thought but he couldn’t tell how it affected the older male. 

 

“I don’t really know. He was gone by the time we were finished too.”

 

“Maybe our little show turned him on and he needed some time to himself,” Chen suggested nonchalantly. 

 

“Please don’t talk about stuff like that,” Tao sputtered out. It wasn’t that he didn’t like sexual jokes, he just didn’t want to picture the man he still, unfortunately, loves masturbating to him and Chen grinding. 

 

The brunet raised a questioning eyebrow at Tao, “Seriously? We just came in our pants and you can’t handle some dirty jokes?” 

 

“Why do you keep bringing that up?” 

 

“Making fun of what we did is better than staying quiet about it and forgetting it ever happened. That will make everything way more awkward than it has to be. Besides, it’s not like we didn’t have any fun. So long as no one else hears about what went down I could care less.” 

 

Zitao sighed in defeat. Somehow he knew he wasn’t going to win the battle with him. Looking at the buildings around them, he realized that his surroundings were becoming less familiar. They must have walked for a long time. 

 

“How much longer?” 

 

“Why? Is being around me such a pain?” Chen asked. 

 

“No! Of course not! I just don’t know where we are anymore.” 

 

“Chill out man. I’m just messing with you,” the brunet said with a light smile, “My apartment is three blocks away and there’s a subway station one block over so you won’t get lost or anything.” 

 

The blond nodded his head in response. When Chen said that he wanted to walk home, Tao had agreed to escort him back because he thought he lived close to the club. That wasn’t the case. 

 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” 

 

“Sure,” Tao replied. 

 

“I didn’t help you tonight just because I felt like it. Sehun convinced me that if I assisted you, you would help me in return.” 

 

Tao was surprised to hear the confession. He didn’t have a clue what he could help Chen with. He hardly even knew the guy. “Sure, what is it?” 

 

“I kind of like your friend Lay. I told Sehun during one of our dance sessions but he wasn’t very helpful. He did say that you and Lay were roommates for a few years though...” he trailed off nervously. 

 

“You were hoping that I might have some advice for you,” Tao finished for him. 

 

“Pretty much.”

 

Zitao looked back on his years spent with the older male. He was laid back, friendly, a little absent minded, and then there was his weed addiction. Part of him wondered where Chen had met Lay and what had sparked his interest in him. As far as he knew, Lay had never dated anyone before. 

 

With his internal analysis out of the way, Tao tried to figure out what information could be used to help the other. “Well, Lay is a really good guy. He’s loyal and easygoing. He gets along with everyone.”

 

Chen’s eyes were glued onto Tao, letting every word sink in for future use. He nodded his head enthusiastically at the kind adjectives used to describe his crush. 

 

“He loves music and dancing. He can also play the guitar. Although, whenever he tries to make his own songs, they always end up being super depressing. I don’t really know why. Lay also has a weird obsession with unicorns. He’s not a brony or anything. He just really likes unicorns. I don’t know if that’s helpful or not...”

 

“Anything is better than nothing,” Chen reassured him, “Is there anything else?”

 

“I don’t know anything about his past relationships or if he ever dated anyone to begin with. However, I know that he’s single and looking for a steady relationship. That’s all I can think of...” 

 

“That’s fine. Thanks” Chen said with a wide smile. 

 

Tao couldn’t resist smiling back. It seemed like Chen was satisfied with all of the information he had given him. He only hoped that the brunet wasn’t anything like Baekhyun. He didn’t want Lay to be used and thrown away. He was almost certain the older male wouldn’t be able to handle such a thing. 

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

“Well, this is my place.” Chen came to halt at the stairs to a narrow apartment building made of gray bricks. He took his key from his pocket and reached for the door. “It was nice meeting you, Tao.”

 

“It was nice to meet you too.”

 

After the words, Chen unlocked the front door and went to go into the building. He stopped in his tracks when Tao spoke up one last time. 

 

“One more thing! When you’re with Lay, just be yourself.”

 

Chen stared at him for a moment before his smile grew wider. “Alrighty. Wish me luck!” 

 

He disappeared into the building before Tao had the time to say anything else. He was pleased with himself for helping out someone he just met. He and Chen were even able to keep a good conversation flowing the entire time they were together, which was rare when meeting new people. It was a relief to know that even with all of the drama happening in his life, he could still make new friends and be happy. 

 

He started walking toward the subway station that Chen had given him directions to earlier. It was one of the first times that his thoughts were preoccupied with something other than Kris. For that, he was thankful. 

 

\----

 

Baekhyun didn’t know what was going to happen when he was pulled inside of Chanyeol’s home. He wasn’t even thinking about what might happen. He was too distracted with the fact that he was breaking yet another rule with the same person. 

 

He never went home with someone twice. But there he was, standing in Chanyeol’s living room, noticing things he didn’t see before. He never realized how messy the apartment was. The giant’s clothes were scattered by the laundry basket next to his bedroom as if it was too much of a hassle to put the clothes inside of it. A pile of plates sat in the kitchen sink, begging to be washed or put away, and an empty pizza box was open on the coffee table in front of the couch, 

 

Baekhyun’s nose scrunched up in distaste at the messiness but then his eyes traveled to a picture frame hanging on the wall right next to the television. Two people were in the photo but Baekhyun was too far away to tell. When he went to take a closer look, Chanyeol stepped out in front of him, blocking his path. 

 

He gave Chanyeol a questioning look and he was about to say something sassy but thought otherwise. Chanyeol’s mood didn’t seem to have improved at all since the club which was a little disconcerting. Still, the taller male said absolutely nothing, choosing instead to stare down at Baekhyun as if he was silently scolding him. 

 

“Is something wrong?” Baekhyun asked after a while of uncomfortable silence. He should have already left the apartment building but he felt like he should at least thank Chanyeol for saving him.

 

“Are you joking?” he asked in disbelief.

 

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, starting to lose his patience, “Why? Was what I said somehow funny to you? Because I’m not the type to crack jokes with a stranger who’s pretending to be mute.” 

 

The look of fury returned on Chanyeol's face and he took an intimidating step closer to the shorter male. “Stranger!? If I’m pretending to be mute, you’re pretending to have amnesia!” 

 

“Why is everyone so pissed at me tonight!? I didn’t do anything to you, okay!? I don’t even know you! You’re just some half handsome dork I had pity sex with a week ago.” Baekhyun wasn’t very good at censoring himself or trying to be nice. He also struggled with telling the truth, preferring to lie in order to solve all of his problems. 

 

Chanyeol’s anger withered away instantly and he appeared to be absolutely dumbstruck. “Pity sex?” 

 

Baekhyun felt a sharp pang in his chest when he saw the sadness and confusion in the other’s eyes. Part of him wanted to keep bashing him even if what he said wasn’t true. But he didn’t want to hurt Chanyeol as much as he originally thought. Baekhyun didn’t care about anyone but he felt like Chanyeol was an exception. 

 

“No... I made that up...,” he admitted, eyeing the ground to hide his humiliation. He was one step away from apologizing and that was not something Baekhyun did. 

 

“You should try to be nicer,” the giant spoke softly. 

 

He was annoyed by the suggestion. He didn’t need someone he hardly knew to tell him how to behave. He had enough experience and intellect to figure it out for himself. 

 

“Sometimes the things people say can cut like knives and I don’t want you to get into another dangerous situation because of it.”

 

Baekhyun glanced at the other warily. He couldn’t understand why Chanyeol was being so nice to him when he looked like he was ready to beat him up just moments ago. 

 

“What if I’m not there to rescue you next time?” Chanyeol continued, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

 

“Why do you care so much about me?”

 

Chanyeol smiled lightly when Baekhyun made eye contact again. “My friends think I’m in love.”

 

“And what do you think?” 

 

“I think that I want to take you on a date.”

 

Baekhyun’s heart thumped in his chest and he was scared that the organ might burst out of him. He’s never been so tempted to break one of his rules until now. However, he wasn’t so easily swayed. 

 

“Listen, Chanyeol. You seem like a really great guy and I’m so lucky that you were there to save me in the club...,” he started hesitantly, “The thing is, I’m not looking to settle down like ever. If you want to be friends we can but I’ll never want you the way you want me.” 

 

At first, Chanyeol’s shoulders sagged in defeat and he looked so sad. Sad enough to make Baekhyun regret everything he just said. Then, the taller male’s eyes lit up in determination and he took another step closer to Baekhyun. 

 

“If you don’t want me, why did you follow me all the way here?”

 

He took another step and Baekhyun started backing away nervously. “I thought you des-.”

 

“If you don’t want me, why are you still here now?”

 

“Because I wan-.”

 

“If you don’t want me, why do you keep staring at me like that?” 

 

Baekhyun stopped trying to answer him. His excuses didn’t make any sense anyway and he kept getting cut off. He kept walking backward until his back hit the wall behind him. Just like in a k-drama, Chanyeol stopped in front of him, gazing down at him as if he was an angel. 

 

“If you don’t want me...” Chanyeol lifted a hand toward Baekhyun and the shorter male shut his eyes instinctively. 

 

He didn’t know what Chanyeol was going to do but he couldn’t keep looking at him when their faces were only inches away from each other. He couldn’t keep looking at Chanyeol when there was so much compassion shining in his brown eyes. 

 

The palm of Chanyeol’s hand rested softly against the left side of Baekhyun’s chest. “Why is your heart racing when you’re with me?” 

 

Baekhyun’s eyes shot open and he stared back at Chanyeol in confusion. His heart  _ was _ racing and he couldn’t deny the pink dusting his cheeks, but he didn’t know why any of that should matter. 

 

“Why?” Chanyeol asked again, this time wanting an answer. 

 

The words didn’t spring into Baekhyun’s mind because even he didn’t have an answer for him. Why did he follow Chanyeol? Why was he still there? Why was he acting so weird? Why did he want to find any other answer than the one already beginning to make sense?

 

“I don’t know.”

 

It wasn’t a complete lie but he couldn’t bring himself to confess his own feelings. Tao was right the entire time. He did  _ like _ Chanyeol the way that would turn into  _ love _ . He still didn’t want to accept it but now he believed it. 

 

“I want you to be my boyfriend,” Chanyeol said and it sounded too much like a middle school confession for Baekhyun not to smile a little bit. 

 

“I’ve never been in a relationship.”

 

“That’s okay.”

 

“I’m a horrible person.”

 

“That’s okay.”

 

“I can’t promise you that this is going to work out between us.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes twinkled in amusement, “Are you done?”

 

“Not really...” 

 

The taller male pulled Baekhyun into a hug, catching the brunet off guard. “I don’t care about what you’ve done in the past and I don’t care about your commitment issues. I like you a lot and I want you to give me a chance to win your heart,”

 

Baekhyun shyly returned the hug. He felt all warm and fuzzy from the utter adoration Chanyeol seemed to have toward him. “My heart’s not much of a prize but I’d like to give you a chance too.”

 

Chanyeol was suddenly lifting Baekhyun off the ground and even though he didn’t want to be carried, he had no choice but to cling on to him for dear life. He let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp at being picked up which earned a low laugh from the other. 

 

With how tall Chanyeol was, he could probably die from being dropped from such a height. He didn’t know why Chanyeol was always putting his life in danger. First, he tried to suffocate him and now he’s a slip away from falling to his death. Unless they both fell, then Chanyeol would probably crush him to death with his weight.

 

Soon he was gently set down on Chanyeol’s bed, resting on his back. Baekhyun stayed still as he watched Chanyeol crawl over him to get to the other side of the mattress. He settled himself onto his side and Baekhyun turned to face the giant with a raised brow.

 

“So are we going to fuck now or what?” 

 

He already broke a million rules so why not throw his remaining ones out the window. Chanyeol was one of his best partners anyway so he wouldn’t mind getting another taste.

 

“It’s hard to say no but I want to start over with you. Let me take you out for dinner before we go at it again.” 

 

Baekhyun frowned, “Are we exclusive then? Cause I could really use some sexual relief.”

 

Chanyeol rolled his eyes, “Yes, we’re exclusive. Use your hand if you have to but I don’t want to have sex with you until I know you’ll still be here when I wake up.”

 

He felt guilty when he heard Chanyeol’s explanation. He never thought about how his one night stands might affect people and he kind of felt like maybe he deserved whatever that man was going to do to him at the club. 

 

“I’ll still be here,” he promised.

 

“That’s good but I still want to wait.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because the next time we do it, I’m going to make love to you nice and slow. I want to take my time and make you beg for release. When I’m done with you, you’ll never want to be with anyone else ever again,” Chanyeol replied, starting to daze off as he thought about his fantasy. 

 

“Shit. If you keep talking like that I’m going to masturbate right here and now.”

 

Chanyeol turned to him with wide eyes, “What!? Please don’t! I don’t know if I’d be able to hold myself back if you did.”

 

Baekhyun laughed, “Alright fine. I won’t touch myself now but that sex better be as good as you said it would be.” 

 

The two of them laughed and they continued to talk to each other for hours. When it was getting so late that both of them were so exhausted that they were acting drunk, Baekhyun snuggled up with Chanyeol, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck. Chanyeol hummed in approval and Baekhyun smiled against his skin. 

 

“I promise I’ll still be here in the morning.”

 

Chanyeol kissed his forehead and they fell asleep in each other’s arms. 

 

\----

 

When the elevator door slid open, the last person Tao thought he’d see loitering in the hallway was Kris Wu. The man was currently sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the door to his apartment. He was playing with his phone and had yet to notice Zitao’s presence even with the dinging of the elevator. 

 

Tao was frozen in the small space, not knowing if he should hit the button for the lobby and sleep on the streets for the night or not. He certainly didn’t want to deal with Kris who must have locked himself out or something. He debated it for a while but as soon as he lifted his finger to press the button, Kris’s eyes moved away from his phone and toward him. 

 

They met eyes and Zitao held his breath as if that would make him turn invisible. Unfortunately, he didn’t have superpowers, so Kris still saw him and rose to his feet. He was smiling but it didn’t carry the cocky aura it usually did. He just looked happy. 

 

Even though his presence was found out, Tao quickly pressed the lobby button and then prayed for the door to shut as fast as possible. Kris was walking toward him in long strides and right before he would have been safely hidden behind the closing door, the older male’s hand stretched through the crack and blocked it. The door slid back open and Tao pressed himself into the corner of the elevator to be as far from Kris as he could.  

 

“What are you doing?” Kris asked as he stepped in the entryway so that the door would stay open. 

 

“I forgot my cell phone downstairs,” Zitao lied. 

 

Kris’s eyes traveled down the blond’s form, stopping at his waist and tilted his head. “Then what’s that?”

 

Tao followed his gaze, realizing the clear outline of his phone in the pocket of his jeans. “Oh,” he said dumbly.

 

“Oh?” Kris repeated, unimpressed, 

 

“What are you doing in the hallway?” Tao changed the subject. 

 

“I was waiting for you.” 

 

Before the blond had a chance to ask why, Kris had grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the elevator and into the empty hall. The taller stopped in front of his apartment and opened the door, which wasn’t locked after all. Tao pulled his wrist free then. He wasn’t going to follow Kris into his apartment. Who knew what would happen in there. 

 

He jumped back a foot to glare at the dirty blond, “What do you think you’re doing!?”

 

Kris turned around to face him with an impatient expression. “I need to talk to you.” 

 

“Well, whatever you have to say to me can be said out here!” 

 

He seemed uncertain at first but eventually he shut his door and crossed his arms. Tao was surprised that he had given in so easily.

 

“You came here alone.”

 

“Yeah?” 

 

“I thought you’d be out longer. I didn’t even know if you’d come back until morning.”

 

“What are you getting at?” 

 

Kris took a step closer, a small smile on his face. “You didn’t do anything with that guy at the club, did you?” 

 

Zitao was taken aback by the question. If Kris was bringing that up, did that have something to do with why he waiting for him to come home? Was Kris jealous? Either way, Tao needed to convince him that that wasn’t the case. If Kris believed that he and Chen didn’t have sex, he might think that Tao was still interested in him. 

 

“What? I mean... It’s not any of your business but we did...  _ stuff _ ,” Tao said. 

 

“Well, yeah. You weren’t  _ just _ dancing before. But you didn’t do anything after that, right?” 

 

Tao blushed at the mentioning of the grinding session earlier in the night. He didn’t know why everyone liked to talk about that. “C’mon Kris. It doesn’t take an entire night for  _ things _ to happen.” 

 

Kris gave him a knowing smirk, “If you’re calling sex  _ stuff _ and  _ things _ , you probably didn’t do anything.” 

 

“You know what Kris, I don’t need you to judge every little thing I do or don’t do,” Zitao said, his annoyance and anxiety reaching an intolerable height. He tore his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door to his own apartment, stepping inside in order to escape the social situation. 

 

Kris followed him inside, shutting the door behind him and glaring at Tao. 

 

“Stop running away from me! I’m just trying to talk to you.” 

 

Tao clenched his hands into fists as he faced the other. “Stop following me then! I told you to leave me alone so leave me alone!” 

 

“I’ll leave you alone if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you’re not in love with me.”

 

“Don’t be so full of yourself!” Tao fired back, but his eyes were wide and his voice was shaky. He was a horrible liar and he  _ was _ in love with Kris. There was no way he could do what was being asked of him, but if it would get him to go away then he had to try. 

 

“There’s no way I’d love a jerk like you!” he said to the floor. He didn’t want to lock eyes with Kris when he was giving him such an intense stare. 

 

Suddenly, fingers were touching Tao’s chin, gently lifting his head up. Kris’s face was so close to his. His brown eyes were intense, daring him to lie again. Tao’s lips parted in surprise and he had to stop himself from shuddering at their proximity. 

 

“I said look me in the eyes and say it,” Kris said in his deep voice that sent chills down Tao’s spine. 

 

He swallowed nervously before talking. “I don’t... love you.” The words came out breathy and weak, barely audible.

 

Kris stared at him for what seemed like hours, unmoving and serious. 

 

“Liar,” the dirty blond whispered and then pressed his lips against Tao’s. His mouth was already slightly open and Kris deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue inside the wet cavern and exploring it. Tao was shocked. He didn’t kiss back and he didn’t fight.

 

His legs felt wobbly and when Kris moved away to catch his breath, Tao almost fell over. The dirty blond was quick to catch him with a hand on his lower back. He placed his other hand on the back of Tao’s neck and pulled him close for another kiss. 

 

In the warm embrace and with the butterflies in his stomach, Tao couldn’t think straight anymore. His lips started moving with Kris’s. His brain felt blank with only the need to please himself and the man he was kissing so he tried to match the elder’s movements. 

 

His own arms reached up and his fingers found their way into the other’s short hair. The kiss was getting sloppier by the second and their teeth collided with each other’s more than once. It was a little surprising that Kris was so experienced but they were kissing like needy virgins. 

 

Kris moved away again and while Tao was panting, he moved his mouth to the exposed skin of his neck. He started sucking the flesh and nibbling at it. Zitao’s eyes shut tightly and he gripped Kris’s hair mindlessly. He knew that the older was marking him and he felt so content and adored. 

 

‘Kris wants everyone to know that I’m his!’ the excited thought jumped to the front of Tao’s mind and he suddenly came to his senses. He was being ridiculous. He was actually enthusiastic that Kris was giving him hickeys and kisses? How could he feel so elated when he knew who Kris was. He had been fooled by him once already so he knew that the player was only toying with him. He had probably made a bet with his friends about getting in his pants and now he was giving him hickeys as proof. He was just a temporary trophy and Tao was sick to his stomach because he didn’t mind it as much as he should. 

 

It was like high school all over again. Every kiss, every touch, everything was so beautiful and desired but Kris wanted sex and Tao wanted so much more. 

 

He should have pushed Kris away when the hand at his neck made it’s way to Tao’s stomach, the large palm feeling the smooth muscles under his shirt. He should have told him to stop when Kris’s fingers started rubbing his sensitive nipples. 

 

He didn’t do anything but whine at the teasing touches. 

 

A moan slipped past his lips when the dirty blond nipped at his earlobe and Kris groaned in response. 

 

“I’ve missed the sounds you make,” Kris admitted.

 

“I haven’t.”

 

Kris and Tao immediately stopped what they were doing at the words, their heads snapping in the direction of the voice. There, in the living room only a few feet away, was Kyungsoo. He was lounging on the couch with a book lying open in his lap. He looked bored as he eyed the pair before him. 

 

Tao jumped out of Kris’s arms and faced his roommate with a flushed face. “Oh my gosh! How long have you been there!?” 

 

“The entire time,” the brunet revealed, “It was hard to read with you two breathing so heavy and shit. I kept reading the same sentence over and over again and now I’m a little annoyed. If you’re going to fuck each other silly, could you do it in your room?”

 

How Kyungsoo managed to say all of that with a straight face was beyond Tao. 

 

Kris coughed awkwardly, “Ah, no. The mood’s kind of ruined now. I’m sorry we didn’t notice you before.” 

 

Kyungsoo nodded, retrieving the book from his lap and finding his place on the page again. He murmured something to himself but Tao wasn’t able to understand the words. 

 

“I’ll see you later, Tao. When you’re ready to talk to me, you know where I live.”

 

Zitao looked at the taller male, who was smiling from ear to ear. He gave him a short nod and then Kris left the apartment with a small wave of his hand. 

 

He felt like a total idiot. He knew what was going on and he still let it happen. Tao, who had been afraid of getting his heart broken all over again, was putting himself into a vulnerable position with the same person who broke it before. 

 

Being around Kris was a recipe for disaster. Zitao always gave in and he wasn’t going to fall for the other’s tricks ever again. If Kris thought that the chase was over, he was wrong.

 

“You sound like a girl when you moan.”

 

“What!?” Tao questioned Kyungsoo. He was embarrassed and stunned that his roommate was talking about his sex noises like it was no big deal. 

 

Kyungsoo wasn’t even looking at him. His eyes were glued to the pages in front of him, seemingly disinterested in the topic at hand. 

  
“Stop talking to me. I’m trying to read.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for leaving kudos, commenting, reading, bookmarking, subscribing, etc. 
> 
> The next chapter will start up the Laychen storyline so anticipate that. Kyungsoo will also get more parts. If you think the Chanbaek is over, you're wrong. There won't be as much going for them but I'll revisit their story later on. Taoris is also going to take a small break since I need to get the other pairings started. The drama is gonna go up up up! If you don't like drama then you might be disappointed. Fluff is also going to rise and some of you might get frustrated with some of these characters *cough* Lay *cough*.
> 
> Luhan will come in soon. The next chapter should be shorter. Kay (:


	14. The Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chanyeol wakes up to disaster and Chen has to focus on what's important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is weird and I rushed the editing process so there might be mistakes.
> 
> READ THE END NOTE!

Chanyeol had a rollercoaster of a night. When he fell asleep with Baekhyun cuddled up with him, he thought he was going to sleep better than he had in a long time. In actuality, he had several nightmares about waking up to an empty bed or about their budding relationship ending in disaster. Each time his eyes flew open and his heart was beating at a rapid pace, his eyes would dart down to the face still snuggled up against his side. 

 

He woke up almost once every hour and every time Baekhyun was still sleeping beside him. Eventually, he must have gotten enough reassurement or his body decided to stop fucking with him and he fell into a peaceful slumber, because the next time his eyes opened, soft light was seeping through his curtains. 

 

His room was the same, he felt the same, and his bed felt the same as it did every other day. Except, it wasn’t the same. When he stretched out his long limbs to further wake himself up, he somehow managed not to kick the tiny brunet. It didn’t alarm him at first since he was still half asleep but when he finally glanced at the other side of the bed he found it to be empty. 

 

His boyfriend of not even twenty-four hours was gone. 

 

The one person that had occupied his thoughts the entirety of the past week had slipped through his fingertips again. He got a taste of what the two of them could share as a couple, but apparently he overestimated Baekhyun as a partner. 

 

Chanyeol was dumb for thinking that a long time player could settle down just like that. It did seem a little too easy to get the other to agree to be his boyfriend, but what did he get from lying to Chanyeol? They didn’t have sex and by the looks of things he wasn’t robbed either. 

 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a strongly bitter scent wafted into his room. His nose scrunched up in distaste. It smelled like something was burning. Wait!? Did Baekhyun actually hate him and want to kill him by burning his home to the ground with him still in it!? Chanyeol should have seen it coming. This wasn’t the first time someone tried to burn him alive. 

 

“HOLY FUCK!” 

 

Chanyeol nearly jumped out of his skin at the high pitched curse that was shouted from another room in his apartment. Whether this was an attempt at his life or not, he needed to figure out what was happening. He threw himself out of his bed but his groggy limbs had him falling face first to the floor. He stayed sprawled out on the floor, his head spinning and his nose aching painfully.

 

“HOW COULD THIS FUCKING HAPPEN!?”

 

The shouting started up again and Chanyeol’s adrenaline kicked in. He not-so-gracefully stood back up and ran out of his room and to the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, he was met with a shocking sight. Baekhyun was standing in front of the stove with a big bowl in his hands. There was a large flame rising from a frying pan on top of the stove and Baekhyun waved the empty bowl forward as if to dump something onto the fire, but nothing happened. The older male became even more frantic as he looked from the stove to the bowl and to the sink in panicked wonder. 

 

“WHY DIDN’T THAT WORK!? THE HELL IS THIS!?” 

 

Chanyeol watched as Baekhyun rushed back to the sink and let water pour back into his empty bowl. That’s when reality hit him and he jumped into action. “Don’t put water on the fire! That will make it worse!”

 

A startled yelp came from the smaller but Chanyeol paid it no mind as he turned off the burner and grabbed an unwashed pot from his counter. He placed the pot on top of the flaming pan and the fire slowly faded into nothingness. 

 

He sighed in relief, wiping away the sweat forming on his forehead as he turned back to Baekhyun. “What’s going on?” he asked in a genuinely curious tone. 

 

The brunet appeared to be frozen in time as he held the bowl tightly to his chest. Chanyeol didn’t mind the sudden silence, as it was a better option than the chaos from mere seconds ago. He let his eyes rake down the other’s form, noticing he was still dressed in his clothes from the previous night. He also realized that the bowl was actually a strainer. He was about to point that out to Baekhyun but he was cut off before he even started to open his mouth. 

 

“You... You’re...” the brunet started in a trembling voice. He moved one arm off of the strainer to point a shaking finger at Chanyeol’s face. “You’re bleeding.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened in surprise and he reached his hands to his still throbbing nose. His fingers were met with a warm, thick liquid. He moved his hands away to examine the substance. Unsurprisingly, bright red blood was resting in the palms of his hands. As he tilted his head down a little more to get a better look at it, as though he was in awe at the sight of his own blood, more of the liquid came gushing out of his nostrils. 

 

A quiet groan came from Baekhyun and when Chanyeol looked back at the other male he noticed the color draining from his cheeks. 

 

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, more worried about his boyfriend than his bloody nose. 

 

Baekhyun didn’t answer. His eyes rolled back and he slowly lost the strength in his legs and fell to the ground. He had fainted.

 

\----

 

Chen stared at his reflection in the large mirrors of the dancing studio. He was the only one in the room and he didn’t know what to do. He already finished all of his warm up stretching which was usually when Sehun showed up, but today he was currently running ten minutes late. Sure, Oh Sehun wasn’t the most reliable or focused person in the world, but he was still a good guy that wouldn’t leave Chen hanging. 

 

He hadn’t even received a text from the younger male. That was the weirdest part of the whole thing. Ever since they exchanged phone numbers, Sehun has been sending him a million texts a day. He loved using emojis too. One day he sent Chen every emoji available once every hour. When asked about it, Sehun said that he had so many feelings but no words to describe them so he had to use every single emoji. That still didn’t explain his reason behind sending them every hour of that day but Chen was past trying to make sense of the guy. 

 

Sehun was nice, funny, and not loud enough to be annoying. He was also a really great dance teacher. Chen felt like he had improved a lot with his help. Soon, the title, Chencing Machine, would be well deserved and not just some stupid joke. 

 

As it turned out, Sehun actually worked at the dance studio as an instructor. Whenever the studio was closed to the general public, they would meet up for a session of teaching. They started out with a few basic moves here and there and then started on a full choreography to some boy group song. 

 

With Sehun nowhere to be seen, Chen contemplated whether or not he should practice running through the choreography by himself. In the end, he decided against it. Even though he was improving and Sehun constantly flooded him with compliments, as well as blunt truths, he still looked like an idiot when he watched himself in the mirrors. He didn’t want to witness his limbs flailing around like a fish out of water unless Sehun was there to reassure him. 

 

Instead, he laid down on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn’t help but recall his time with Zitao the night before. The blond was more of a prepubescent teenage girl than the wushu master Sehun had described him as, but Chen wasn’t completely appalled by his personality either. He liked Tao quite a bit actually. Obviously, the grinding got a little out of hand but Chen wasn’t complaining too much. He didn’t think Tao had it in him to initiate something so sexual with someone he barely knew. 

 

Then Tao had to go and act like a scandalized virgin immediately afterward. It was funny and it gave Chen a lot of opportunities to mess with him. Also, Zitao was nice enough to offer him some advice and support when it came to his interest in Lay. 

 

He was physically attracted to Lay but now he also had reason to like him beyond that as well. Tao had made him out to be a really good person and Chen wasn’t going to waste his time chasing some asshole. 

 

A soft knocking at the door of the practice room was as surprising as Sehun’s lack of texts. No one ever bothered Chen or Sehun before and Sehun never knocked. He was a little anxious at the idea of having to socialize with someone he didn’t know, especially if they didn’t know he was allowed to be there. 

 

He sat up so that he was supporting himself on his elbows. The door opened after the knocking stopped and just as Chen thought, Sehun was not the one to greet him. 

 

It was Lay. 

 

His dark brown hair was well groomed and accented his equally attractive eyes, his lips were pulled up in a warm smile, complete with dimples, and his eyes crinkled in his friendly but unexpected arrival. He was gorgeous and Chen thanked the heavens that he was bright enough not to seem too infatuated by his presence alone. 

 

“Hello,” he said with a respectful bow that Chen wasn’t accustomed to. 

 

“Uh... Hey,” he responded dumbly.

 

“Sehun couldn’t make it today. He was having stomach problems and asked me to fill in for him. I hope you don’t mind.” 

 

Chen vaguely remembered seeing Sehun eating a strange combination of food last night when he met Tao and Baekhyun. Maybe that had something to do with the sudden sickness. “I don’t mind!” he said with a little too much excitement. “Also, I hope Sehun gets well soon...”

 

Lay seemed virtually unfazed by the odd behavior and fully entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Chen took some time to get a good look at his temporary instructor. He was wearing a black tank top that was fitted tightly, showing off his toned arms and abs through the thin material. His grey sweatpants were the exact opposite, baggy and loose on his hips. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes and Chen’s inner perv had him licking his lips as all sorts of fantasies circulated inside his mind. 

 

When Lay turned back around, his innocent smile and obliviousness to Chen’s desires were making him even more confused. How could Lay look so damn sexy but seem like a cute little kid at the same time? Chen didn’t know if he had some weird ass kinks or what, but he was digging both sides equally, which was going to make the lesson that much harder for him to endure. 

 

“So, what have you and Sehun been working on so far?” 

 

Chen answered Lay with as much nonchalance as he could muster. As he did so, he wondered why he never pursued a career in acting because he was on point. 

 

“Okay. Can I see the dance then?”

 

Chen hesitated at that. He still didn’t think he was a great dancer and he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of his crush. He didn’t have a lot of faith in his concentration at the moment either. Lay was on his mind and dancing wasn’t. He didn’t want to make a silly mistake in front of him. 

 

“What if I say no?”

 

Lay tilted his head at the question. “Well, how do you want me to help you if you don’t want to show me your dancing?” 

 

Chen thought about that too. Lay was there to teach him how to dance. He couldn’t exactly do that unless they  _ actually _ danced. Either way, Chen was probably going to embarrass himself. He scowled at the floor in his frustration. 

 

“Let’s try something else then.” 

 

He watched Lay expectantly, wondering what he had up his non-existent sleeve. 

 

“What do you want to learn?”

 

“How to dance...?” 

 

“Sure, but what was your real goal when you approached Sehun and I in the club?”

 

Chen thought back to the mentioned time. “At the time, you two had just finished a freestyle dance battle. I saw it go down and I thought about how awesome it would be if I could do something like that too.” 

 

Lay nodded, “So you want to learn how to freestyle.” 

 

It wasn’t a question but Chen still felt like he had to answer him anyway. “Yes.”

 

“Alright. I’d ask you to show me your best shot at freestyle but for some reason, I don’t think you’re going to want to” Lay said as he walked past Chen to get to the stereo system in the far corner of the room. 

 

He felt his cheeks heat up at the assumption. Yes, Lay was right but it made him feel like he was being absurd. They barely knew each other and if Chen kept coming off as shy then there was no way they’d get to know each other better. “If you want me t-” he started.

 

“It’s okay, Chen,” Lay said, glancing over his shoulder to give him a light hearted smile, “I used to work here too. I’m used to teaching all kinds of people how to dance. Some of them had no experience, others were embarrassed, and some were more skilled than I was after their first day.”

 

Chen went silent when his name came out of the other’s mouth, sweet as honey. He liked it a lot. He also liked the way Lay was looking at him with all of the patience in the world. He was nothing like Sehun when it came to teaching. Sehun showed very little emotions and he kept pushing him to his limits. Lay, on the other hand, appeared to be extremely patient and understanding. 

 

“If you’re not comfortable dancing in front of me yet it’s perfectly normal. How about I dance this time around and you can watch?”

 

“How is that supposed to help me, though?” 

 

“Freestyle dancing is completely different than what you’ve been taught so far. You can use any of the moves you know but it’s not about looking cool. Freestyle is about feeling and interpreting the music,” Lay replied with a far off look. 

 

Chen tilted his head in confusion. He didn’t really understand what Lay was saying and his bafflement must have been pretty obvious.

 

Lay gave him an apologetic look, “It’s hard to describe. Just watch me and try not to get too distracted by my movements alone.”

 

Twenty minutes into their session later and Chen felt like he was losing brain cells while he watched Lay dance. He had already gone through five songs, each one a completely different genre, and Chen was still at the edge of his seat. 

 

Lay was mesmerizing. 

 

Sometimes he would move slow and smooth, his arms motioning through the air delicately, feet gliding and spinning like he was as light as a feather, and his eyes half lidded. Chen could see so much sorrow inside of Lay’s brown orbs and it was just as easily portrayed in his dancing as well. He felt his heart clench at the sight and he rubbed the wetness from his eyes. 

 

Other times, when a more upbeat song was blasting through the speakers, Lay would completely change. He became more robotic in nature, hitting sharply with the clipped notes of the song. Whenever his shoulders rolled back and the movement followed down the rest of him, Chen’s eyes would dart to Lay’s hips. 

 

The body rolls, or air thrusting, was done with so much power and finesse that Chen’s mind clouded over with dirty fantasies. ‘He must be great in the bedroom.’

 

_ Try not to get too distracted by my movements alone _ was starting to seem more and more impossible by the second. Especially with the heat forming low in Chen’s abdomen. 

 

Thankfully, the session ended before a tent could form in his pants and even though Chen was sad to part ways, he couldn’t stop smiling when he reimagined their time together. As much as he wanted Sehun to get better, he kind of hoped he would be sick enough for Lay to fill in again tomorrow.  

 

\----

 

After Baekhyun fainted, Chanyeol carried him to the couch and called 911. The operator told him that Baekhyun was probably “afraid” of blood and passed out because of it. Since it was common and not a fatal emergency, Chanyeol was given directions on how to take care of the other without the need for professional medical care. He was only supposed to call back if he didn’t wake up or experienced unusual symptoms later on. 

 

Once he had done everything he could to help Baekhyun, Chanyeol went to the bathroom to stop his still bleeding nose, clean it, and check to see if it was broken. Thankfully, his nose was fine. When he exited the bathroom, he went straight to his sleeping beauty, seating himself on the armrest of the couch. 

 

He watched Baekhyun sleep for a while, smiling at the cute appearance of the older male. His thin lips looked just as soft as they felt, his button nose small and matching his femininely soft facial features, and his hair sticking up at weird angles. He was absolutely adorable. He especially liked the way his eyeliner was smeared, making him seem even more vulnerable and precious. Chanyeol figured that Baekhyun was a perfectionist and a little full of himself too. There was no way he would be caught dead with less than perfect makeup and the fact that he didn’t bother to fix it in the morning made Chanyeol feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  

 

When Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered open, Chanyeol scooted closer to him, eyes widened with worry. The brunet stared up at him with glazed eyes but then sudden recognition flashed in the orbs and Baekhyun went to sit up. Chanyeol stopped him by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

 

“Hey, take it easy. You shouldn’t move so fast after fainting.” 

 

“What? I fainted?” Baekhyun asked in utter confusion. 

 

“Oh, you don’t remember? Ah, well, you sort of passed out when you saw my nose bleeding.”

 

“You were bleeding!?” 

 

Chanyeol gave him a bright smile at the obvious concern. “It’s okay. Everything’s fine now. I just fell on my face getting out of bed. No big deal.”

 

“No big deal!? Are you kidding me!? Why did you even fall in the first place?” 

 

“It’s not like I wanted to fall. It’s because there was a fire in the kitchen and I needed to stop it before everyone in the building burned to death.” 

 

Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed in thought and then everything seemed to come back to him. “Oh my gosh! Chanyeol, I’m so sorry! I was trying to surprise you and then that fire started out of thin air! I don’t even know how that happened... I tried to stop the fire with water but it wasn’t staying in the bowl! Like what the fuck, right!? Then you came out of nowhere and you weren’t supposed to wake up yet but you were there and squirting blood all over the place and I di-” 

 

“Hold on,” Chanyeol said to stop the rant. “One, you were trying to put water in a strainer. Two, I was  _ not _ squirting blood everywhere. You’re definitely exaggerating about that. And three, what were you trying to surprise me with?” 

 

“What the fuck is a strainer? It was a bowl. Stop making up words. Also, I did not exaggerate your bloody nose. I mean, c’mon Chanyeol, look at your carpet!” 

 

Chanyeol looked down at his white carpeting, only to discover that Baekhyun was making  _ some _ sense after all. The floor was covered in a mass amount of blood drops, displaying a clear path from his bedroom to his kitchen, living room, and bathroom. It looked like a crime scene. 

 

“How are you even alive?” Baekhyun asked in wonder. 

 

Clearing his throat, Chanyeol decided to change the subject by addressing the elephant in the room. “You don’t know what a strainer is?”

 

“I don’t need a lesson in vocabulary. I know that isn’t a real word.” 

 

“A strainer is used for separating a liquid from a solid. There are a bunch of little holes in the bowl that lets the water out. That’s why you weren’t able to pour water onto the fire.” 

 

Baekhyun glared at him as he explained. “That’s ridiculous. Whoever invented a strainer must have been super drunk.”

 

“Have you ever cooked before?” 

 

“Chanyeol, I am an adult. Of course, I’ve cooked! I make toast all of the time.” 

 

Silence fell over them as Chanyeol came to understand how hopeless Baekhyun is and how hopeless Chanyeol is for liking him even more for his foolishness. Still, he knew that complimenting Baekhyun for being a little moronic wouldn’t go down well, so he decided to change the subject once again. “What about the surprise then?”

 

Baekhyun’s irritated demeanor instantly changed into one of embarrassment. “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

 

Chanyeol was starting to piece together everything anyway. He didn’t need Baekhyun to answer him to figure it out. Baekhyun clearly didn’t know how to cook and there was a fire on the stove. It all added up to one thing. 

 

“Were you making me breakfast?” 

 

“What!? No!” 

 

“I’m not mad at you for starting a fire. You can admit it to me.”

 

“I was not cooking you breakfast. I don’t cook people breakfast.”

 

Chanyeol smiled even wider at Baekhyun’s useless attempt at lying. He pulled the smaller into a hug and this time, Baekhyun’s arms wrapped around him right away. “Thank you. Even if I didn’t get to eat your food, I’m still really happy.”

 

“Well, you’re welcome... I guess...” 

 

“What were you making me anyway?”

 

“...Eggs...”

 

Chanyeol tried to bite back his laughter but it wasn’t enough to prevent a giggle from escaping.

 

“Shut the fuck up. None of this would have happened if you had a fucking toaster.” 

 

His laughter grew and after a while, he could feel Baekhyun smiling into his neck. Chanyeol was surprised. He thought that he would be upset at him for laughing at his failure, but he was actually enjoying it. 

 

“I watched this movie where the girlfriend cooked breakfast for her boyfriend and I thought I would try it. I’ve never done something like that before... but I really wanted to show you that I meant it when I said I was going to try to make this work between us.” 

 

The words were so affectionate and saccharine, everything that Baekhyun tried not to be. Chanyeol was ecstatic that the other was trying so much on their second day as a couple and he wished that the efforts would have paid off. However, the thought counted more and Chanyeol was grateful nonetheless. 

 

“It’s kind of funny actually.”

 

Baekhyun pulled out of the hug to give Chanyeol a pointed glare. “Me caring about you is funny?” 

 

Chanyeol shook his head in amusement, “No. Me waking up and thinking you were gone for good is funny.”

 

Baekhyun frowned, “But I promised I would still be here.”

 

“I know and I’m sorry for doubting you. We decided to start over and I couldn’t get past our first encounter. I said I was going to win your heart and give it everything I got, but I already failed you. It’s funny in an ironic way” Chanyeol explained, feeling as though their romance could crumble right then and there. He didn’t want it to, but he wanted to be up front with Baekhyun, even if it pissed him off enough to break up. 

 

“Seriously, Chanyeol. Stop talking about shit like this. If we’re both starting off bad then whatever. Trying isn’t always easy so stop acting like we’re already over.” 

 

“Bu-” Chanyeol started but Baekhyun’s hands coming up to cup his cheeks caused the words to catch in his throat. 

 

“Didn’t I tell you to shut the fuck up?” he asked before leaning in to kiss Chanyeol. 

 

Their lips moved together in soft, longing, and meaningful movements. It was as if with one kiss, Baekhyun was promising him the world. 

 

It had been a long time since Chanyeol had any hope in finding love, but this small male with a sassy mouth and a stubborn personality was enough to ignite that hope once more.

 

Maybe he would be able to move on from that tragedy once and for all. 

  
Maybe he would be able to move on from  _ her _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPER IMPORTANT UPDATE!
> 
> I'm going away tomorrow (September 20th) and I won't be back for a long time. Specifically, I'm heading off to Texas for basic training/ tech school. I won't have any access to technology for a while and when I have the freedom to use my laptop, I probably won't have time to write or post chapters...
> 
> I will be able to read and reply to comments mid-November (when I graduate from basic). I will also add one chapter to every story I'm writing in December (when I get to come home for two weeks to celebrate the holidays). I'll be back for good in February and then I'll become an active author again.
> 
> Long story short: I'll be gone for a while. I'll update this story in December. I'll be active again in February and every month after that. I plan on finishing this story. I'm sorry that this temporary break is going to happen but my life comes before my hobbies.
> 
> Thanks for your understanding. <3


	15. The Heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zitao and Kyungsoo aren't so different after all.

Zitao had been laying in his bed awake since the night before all the way until late afternoon. He couldn’t sleep and he couldn’t bring himself to get up and pretend like everything was okay. It wasn’t okay. 

 

He had given into Kris once again. 

 

Sure, they didn’t have sex but if Kyungsoo wouldn’t have been there... What with the way Tao had completely melted into every kiss and touch, the way he had gotten so dizzy with lust, they would have gone all the way. 

 

He was pissed at himself for letting things escalate the way they did. He should’ve pushed Kris away but there was something different about the older man that had Zitao forgetting his hatred and regret. Kris didn’t look at Tao like he used to. There wasn’t hunger or cockiness in those brown eyes, there was something intense and serious. 

 

It scared Tao because he was almost positive that Kris was looking at him with some form of love and adoration. There was just no way that that was possible. 

 

Kris just wanted to use him. That was it. He wanted to fuck Tao and then throw him away. That was all Tao was good for. 

 

Zitao must have been seeing things because there was absolutely no way Kris felt anything more than lust toward him. 

 

“I made dinner. Get out here” Kyungsoo ordered from the other side of Tao’s locked door. 

 

Tao eyed his door warily. He really didn’t want to move from his spot on the bed. He was too lazy to move, too frustrated to sleep, and too tired to cry. 

 

“I’m not hungry,” Tao tried to yell, but it came out hoarse and weak. 

 

“I did  _ not _ just slave for over two hours in the kitchen just for you to be a snob and refuse a free meal! Get your lazy ass out of bed!” Kyungsoo shouted in annoyance. Apparently, he had managed to hear Tao after all. 

 

“I’m not hungry” Tao groaned again, rolling onto his side. He must have had a death wish. 

 

There was a very long, very ominous silence that followed Tao’s reply. It seemed like Kyungsoo had decided to leave him alone and eat dinner by himself. 

 

However, Tao was never that lucky. 

 

He could hear his door being unlocked and opened. Loud stomping came closer and closer to him and Tao tried to hide under his blankets. It didn’t work. Kyungsoo threw the sheets off of him and Zitao was met with the terror that is his roommate. His glare pierced his soul and Tao was frozen like a deer in headlights. 

 

Kyungsoo’s hands snapped out toward him, fast as lighting and Zitao barely managed to scramble away from the threat, only to roll off of his mattress and onto the floor. 

 

He didn’t see the smaller male make his way toward him or process how long it took but all of a sudden Kyungsoo was right in front of him. His fingers encircled Tao’s ankles and he was suddenly being dragged through the apartment. 

 

“LET ME GO! I’M SORRY! PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!” Tao screamed nonsensically, flailing around in desperation.

 

“I don’t care if I have to shove the food down your throat until you’re choking to death, you are going to eat it,” Kyungsoo said menacingly.

 

“You don’t have to do that! I’ll eat it! I’m sorry!” 

 

And just like that, Kyungsoo let go of Tao’s ankles and took a seat at the dining table. Zitao slowly sat up, thankful that he was wearing enough clothes to protect him from rug burn. 

 

The table was already set, his plate stacked with spicy pork, onions, and kimchi. He knew it was going to taste delicious. Everything Kyungsoo made was perfect, but he didn’t have an appetite. 

 

“It’s going to get cold.”

 

Zitao jumped into his chair and started to powering down the food before Kyungsoo had to say another word.

 

“You know, I’ve been wanting to talk to you ever since last night.”

 

The seriousness in Kyungsoo’s tone wasn’t abnormal but it sent panic through Tao. After his accidental make-out session with Kris, he had been expecting Kyungsoo to chew him out. He wasn’t supposed to have people over unless he asked and doing sexual things out in the open was definitely unacceptable. 

 

Tao glanced at him nervously, like a guilty puppy, but Kyungsoo didn’t look angry. He looked thoughtful. 

 

“Okay?”

 

“The guy you were kissing... that was Kris, right? Our neighbor?” 

 

Tao gave a slow nod. 

 

“I’m not judging you or anything, but do you know the kind of person he is?” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And you’re okay with it?”

 

Zitao sighed, “Look, it’s not what it looked like. Kris and I used to be... together... but I’m not interested in him anymore. He’s just messing around with me. It’s some sick game of his.” 

 

Kyungsoo studied him for a long moment before speaking again. “You love him but he’s never going to settle for an exclusive relationship.”

 

“How did you know that?”

 

“I don’t know Kris that well but I used to be close with a friend of his. They’re one in the same and you and I are the collateral damage of their immaturity.” 

 

Tao was shocked by the confession. “Which friend?!” 

 

“Kai,” he reluctantly revealed. “We were together for almost a year. I loved him with all my heart and I thought he felt the same way too. Then I found out that he had been cheating on me the entire time.”

 

“Oh my gosh.”

 

“Yeah. It really sucked. The worst part was that as mad as I was about being betrayed, I could never stop loving him. Even now...”

 

“I know how you feel,” Tao admitted. 

 

They shared a defeated look from across the table, their meal left forgotten. 

 

“How am I supposed to move on?”

 

Zitao offered a sympathetic frown. He wasn’t the best person to give advice on the matter since he was going through the same problem. “How long has it been since you broke up?”

 

“Six months.”

 

“Maybe if you talk to him, you can find some type of closure?” 

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in horror, much to Tao’s surprise. He thought it was impossible for his scary roommate to feel fear when he was the bringer of nightmares. 

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea! What if I fall even harder for him? What if he doe-.”

 

“I can come with you. I’ll make sure nothing crazy happens. How does that sound?”

 

“I don’t know his number or anything...” Kyungsoo tried to get out of the situation. 

 

“I know where to find him. But we’ll have to wait until the weekend.” 

 

“Alright, fine but if anything bad happens to me you’re going to regret it” Kyungsoo warned, cracking his knuckles for emphasis. 

 

Tao laughed weakly at the threat. Why did he always end up in the worst situations? Why couldn’t he just live a normal, boring life like a majority of the human population? 

 

He hadn’t even considered that when he takes Kyungsoo to the club to see Kai, Kris might be there too. 

  
‘Perfect. Just fucking perfect.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! I know it's a bit late but I hope you're happy that I finally updated.   
> I'm starting the Kaisoo plot! Whoo! Thanks for those who waited patiently for my return. :)


	16. The Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chen + stress + pervertedness = MESS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up people cuz I have no idea why I wrote this.

Chen’s head rocked with the movement of the subway train as he rode with the back of his skull leaning lazily against the giant window behind his seat. He was so exhausted. Sometimes his job was just way too stressful for him to handle. He loved it too of course. Working as a choir teacher at a middle school had a pretty good balance of pros and cons. He got to be around music all of the time, he taught young people how to further appreciate the beauty of it, and he got to see his students grow and improve their skills. On the other hand, he had to teach everyone in his class how to read and sing at least five songs for a choir concert that he only ever seemed to have a month to prepare for. He was also the only teacher in his department which left him directing multiple classes in three different grade levels. Talk about a migraine.

 

The new school year had started a couple of weeks ago, but the stress was only now starting to catch up to him. He wasn’t going to have a lot of free time anymore so the likelihood of him being able to meet with Sehun for dance practices was slim to none.

 

He was going to miss his dance lessons quite a bit. He loved the learning process of it and it didn’t hurt to get in the exercise too. He would probably never find out if Lay would stop by unannounced to teach him again. He would miss Lay’s dancing.

 

He would just miss Lay in general. 

 

He figured that his interest was unrequited anyway, but it still gave him a certain thrill that he’d never stumbled upon before. Chen loved being around the choreographer more than anyone else he’d ever met. It wasn’t like they had that many meaningful conversations but he knew that they both shared a burning passion for music that most people couldn’t fully comprehend. 

 

The brunet sighed heavily, craning his neck so that his head could rest against his shoulder instead of the shuddering train. All he wanted to do was sleep but he still had to correct quizzes and cook dinner. He couldn’t even take a nap on the subway since the last time he did he ended up waking to an empty wallet. 

 

“Chen?” 

 

He glanced across the train, wondering if someone had actually said his name or if he was just delusional. He must have been so tired that he was hallucinating because sitting opposite of him was the very person he had just been daydreaming about. 

 

Lay’s head was tilted as he took in Chen’s form, seemingly surprised to have chanced upon him then and there. “Chen?” he whispered again, still not sure if he was calling out to his friend or some strange look alike. 

 

Chen’s eyes widened to an almost comical size as he flinched back in surprise, smashing his head into the window painfully. He yelped at the impact, bringing his hand to the already forming lump there and rubbing it awkwardly. His cheeks felt hot and he cursed himself internally for acting so stupid in front of his crush. 

 

‘ _ Crush? _ ’ he thought in annoyance, ‘I’m acting like a love obsessed teenager.’

 

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” Lay asked, face full of concern as he rose from his seat to get closer to his injured friend. 

 

“I’m fine” Chen rushed to reassure him, “You just surprised me that’s all!” 

 

“Still, it looked like you hit your head pretty hard.” 

 

“Honestly, I’m perfectly fine.”

 

Lay ignored him as he crouched down to get eye level with the brunet, reaching a hand to the back of his head to caress his fingers through his hair curiously. “I can feel a lump! You need ice! What if you get a concussion?” 

 

Chen stared into Lay’s eyes as if in a daze. Up close, he could see the darker specks of brown in his caramel irises, his parted lips, and his long eyelashes fluttering delicately in his worry. Then his eyes lasered in on his own and Chen averted his gaze instantly, more heat rising to his face as he tried his best to hide the fact that he’d been staring. 

 

But now, at this new angle, he was staring directly at the older male’s waist. His muscular thighs were tensed deliciously in his crouching stance, skinny jeans hugging him tightly and leaving little to the imagination. Chen wanted to run his hands all over his legs, chest, everything. He mentally undressed the other and envisioned himself kissing the dancer all over. Littering him with love bites and teasing touches.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” 

 

Chen’s head snapped back up to make eye contact with Lay again. He could have sworn he saw him smirking for a split second but then he blinked and concern was the only emotion showing on the other. 

 

“I’m seriously worried you have a concussion.”

 

Chen knew he didn’t have a concussion. He was just a fucking idiot with the dirtiest mind in the world. He decided not to correct Lay on that, however. 

 

“I’m perfectly fine!” 

 

“Alright then,” Lay reluctantly agreed, “Well, do you mind if I sit next to you?” 

 

His mind went blank at the question. Lay wanted to sit next to him? That was totally crazy and they barely even knew each other. Everything was moving so fast! His heart was going to explode at this rate. He wasn’t given enough time to mentally prepare for how to react in a situation like this. 

 

Lay stared at him for a good thirty seconds while Chen was busy having a mental breakdown before he eventually got tired of waiting for an answer and just sat down next to him. 

 

The seats were so close that their thighs were touching each other and Chen tried really hard not to think about it. 

 

He tried. 

 

He failed. 

 

His head turned ever so subtly so that he could stare at the spot where their legs were making contact. 

 

“So, how are you doing?” Lay asked. 

 

“Awesome now that my sexy ass crush is here.”

 

“What!?”

 

It took every cell in his body to steer his gaze off of their legs and up to meet Lay’s extremely confused face. He didn’t know why he looked so mindblown. He had just kind of mumbled a random reply without thinking about it, but he was almost positive he had said “I’ve been doing great. How about you?” 

 

But that wouldn’t really explain why Lay was staring at him like he had just grown two heads. 

 

“What?” Chen mimicked. 

 

“Your sexy ass crush?” 

 

Oh. He only meant to think that... “Whoa! What? I didn’t say that.” 

 

“You didn’t?” 

 

“Nope! I said my sassy bass lunch.” 

 

He felt like such an idiot. There was no way that Lay was going to believe that. 

 

“Oh. That makes sense” Lay laughed to himself, “That makes way more sense. Silly me!” 

 

He wasn’t being sarcastic. He looked like he was being 100% serious. 

 

‘Damn, I am a fucking genius.’

 

Chen smiled, toothy and real, something he hadn’t done in a while. “Don’t worry about it. This train is kind of loud so it’s only natural that you’d mishear something every once and awhile.” 

 

Lay nodded in agreement, shooting him a dazzling grin, dimples and all. 

 

He had never seen a more beautiful sight. Lay was just so perfect and genuine and everything Chen wasn’t. He wanted to lean over and kiss him, taste him, and so much more. He wanted to go home with him and forget the stress in his life. He would do anything with Lay, he was sure of it, and it scared him. 

 

He was scared because they barely knew each other. 

 

He was scared because he had been rejected more times than he could count.

 

He was scared because he didn’t want to see the look on Lay’s face when he undoubtedly turns Chen down. 

 

“I need to go,” Chen choked out. 

 

Lay’s happiness morphed into concern again. He said something that Chen tuned out as he got up from his chair. He saw the fingers stretching out toward him and he slapped them away without a second thought. 

 

“I need to leave. I’m sorry.” Chen uttered, turning away so that he didn’t have to see the pained expression on the other’s face. 

 

He pushed through the crowd of strangers, everything swimming around him in a blur. He felt like he was suffocating in the cramped space with no way to escape. 

 

He staggered blindly until he no longer needed to bump into people just to move. Blinking a few times to try to get his bearings, he realized that he was standing at one of the doors. 

  
His reflection was staring back at him through the window and Chen knew what his real problem was. He wasn’t running away from Lay, he was running from himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are probably mistakes because I didn't edit it very well. I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a happy chapter. Now it's not...
> 
> However, the next two chapters are going to be very long, dramatic, and awesome! Luhan will show up in like 3 chapters too. Yay! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and supporting me and this story! It means the world to me! I love you all <3


	17. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo never expected to feel so torn. Suho always expected to hate his life.

“Kyungsoo! Again, really!?” 

 

The brunet barely heard the blond’s outburst, too engrossed by his reflection in the window of a shop on the city street. He brushed his fingers through his dark locks, gelled up in a style that his roommate swore up and down was  _ in _ .  Kyungsoo thought it looked a little ridiculous on him. It showed off too much of his forehead and seemed a bit messy as well. 

 

“You look fine. Really.” 

 

Kyungsoo glanced over at Tao, feeling wary and hopeful at the same time. He doubted the taller male was telling the truth, but he secretly wished that he was. Kyungsoo wanted to look stunning when he went to see...  _ him _ .

 

Even so, he was glad that he had managed to convince Tao of letting him wear whatever outfit he chose. His jeans were plain and his sweater was a little long for his small figure, but he liked it that way. Speaking to his ex was just  _ that _ . He didn’t want to seduce him all over again, impress him maybe, but that was all. He just wanted closure. He needed it. 

 

“I’m sorry, Tao. It’s just hard for me to go through with all of this.” 

 

Zitao looked guilty at his words. Kyungsoo didn’t really know what the blond’s intentions really were either. Was he helping him because he cared or was there some ulterior motive? Either way, he knew he had made their fifteen-minute journey to the club five times longer than necessary. 

 

He was stalling. 

 

“It’s okay. I’m actually nervous about this too.” 

 

“Why?”

 

“Well, when I told you I knew where we could find Kai I left out the part about Kris probably being there too.” 

 

Kyungsoo didn’t know how to respond to that. It didn’t really change anything, other than his nearing reunion potentially ending up a spectacle for Zitao and Kris to watch. He supposed his love life was dramatic enough to be at least a little entertaining. 

 

He sighed heavily, head rolling back in defeat. He needed to stop thinking and just get the fucking night over with. 

 

The brunet grabbed Zitao’s wrist rougher than he had intended to and pulled him off toward the club. It wasn’t entirely necessary since Tao had wanted to go there willingly but now Kyungsoo needed to feel like he was in control. 

 

Interestingly enough, the blond stayed silent for the entirety of their walk to the club. 

 

He stomped through the entrance of the club without fully realizing it. He didn’t even know if there had been a bouncer outside or not. As soon as his eyes were met with the sight of a dance floor filled with an endless amount of people, he felt his motivation to keep going falter. 

 

Kyungsoo was never one to go clubbing. He hated the crowds, the bright lights, the overpriced drinks, and everything else that came along with it. Even now, he still hated the scene. He felt a wave of dizziness pass over him and he started to stumble a bit but Tao was there to catch him. 

 

“Hey! Are you alright?” 

 

The worry clouded in his dark orbs had Kyungsoo smiling mindlessly. The only other person that ever looked at him like that had been-

 

Deep laughter faintly reached his ears. It seemed impossible for him to be able to hear something as simple as laughter, but he wouldn’t have been able to miss the familiarity of the sound. Even with the lowness of the voice, the laugh managed to carry a light feeling along with it. It was the kind of laughter that was contagious and he would have joined in had he been happy to hear it.

 

Kyungsoo tore his gaze away from Tao’s in favor of turning his head to the source of the noise. 

 

He was sitting at the bar, his side facing him, and his head pointed in the bartender’s direction. His ebony hair was slicked back in a sexy way, but honestly, anything was sexy when it came to him. His gorgeously tan skin seemed to glow in the flashing rays of light, dancing across his figure, and mesmerizing Kyungsoo. 

 

Still being held up only by Tao, Kyungsoo took a dazed breath of air. Zitao wasn’t paying attention to his emotions anymore, though. When the brunet spared him one last glance, the blond was lost in his own trance and Kyungsoo helped himself up almost solely on his own. 

 

He started taking small steps closer to the bar. His fingers twitched at his sides, yearning to tangle themselves within Kai’s beautiful hair. His heart throbbed inside of his chest and his eyes were wide and focused only on Kai. He couldn’t see anyone else in the room. It was only the two of them. 

 

Kai’s head tilted his way all of a sudden. He looked surprised to see him for a split second and then his eyes were filled with sweet relief, his lips tilting up into the slightest of a smile. 

 

Kyungsoo was struck by the reaction. Kai looked like he had discovered his soulmate after years of searching and it was all too much for Kyungsoo to handle. 

 

He wasn’t supposed to look at him like that. 

 

They were supposed to hate each other. 

 

Kyungsoo was unaware of closing the distance between them, but suddenly the palm of his hand stung and when his eyes lasered back in on Kai’s face, he could see one of his cheeks was red. The man’s eyes were widened in shock and both of them were rendered speechless. 

 

The brunet lifted his hand up, studying his trembling appendage with curiosity. It was red too. 

 

‘Did I slap him?’ 

 

“Kyungsoo.” 

 

The sound of his name on the other’s lips brought him back to locking eyes with Kai. There was adoration in his voice, in his eyes, in the way his hands reached out toward him as if to confirm he was even there. 

 

When Kai’s fingers brushed against his own hand, everything felt great. He almost forgot that Kai was a filthy cheater and a liar. He almost forgot how he had broken his heart. 

 

“I’ve missed you so much.” 

 

Kyungsoo felt his eyes brimming with tears at the confession. 

 

‘He’s lying to you! That’s what he does! That’s what he always did,’ his brain screamed it’s constant reminder. 

 

“This was a bad idea,” he muttered breathily, his hand retracting back from Kai’s delicate touch. 

 

Kyungsoo was slipping. He was falling back into the arms of the falsified love that Kai sold to him so easily. He wasn’t going to let it happen. He needed to escape before he was caught up in the man’s game all over again. 

 

He backed away from Kai slowly, struggling to force himself to do even that. The younger male rose to his feet and made to move closer to him. 

 

Kyungsoo turned around and sprinted out of the building, ignoring the drowned cries of Zitao. 

 

Footsteps pounded from behind and he knew that someone was pursuing him. He didn’t know who it was, but Kyungsoo wasn’t going to let them reach him. 

 

\----

 

Suho paced around his apartment, his body buzzing with nerves and excitement. His roommates weren’t home, finally. 

 

When he got home from work the apartment was silent. Baekhyun wasn’t in the living room watching girly dramas that Suho secretly liked and Sehun wasn’t eating weird food combinations in the kitchen like usual. They weren’t there to mess with him or blast loud music at the worst times. No. Suho was 100% alone. 

 

At the realization he texted Xiumin to come over and he was probably almost there because he was just as pumped and no doubt driving way over the speed limit. 

 

They had been dating for months but had only ever done  _ it _ once.  _ Once! _

 

Most of their issues were caused by Suho’s roommates--cockblocks, but Xiumin’s house was no improvement. Suho’s adoring, perfect boyfriend had to have one major flaw. He owned a waterbed. Call him old fashioned, but Suho refused to have sex on anything other than an actual bed, preferably an expensive one but that was just a plus. 

 

Xiumin was just as desperate but he was proud of his waterbed. He would never replace it or buy another mattress that might make his waterbed jealous. 

 

Suho respected his stubbornness and that’s why they were determined to make it work. 

 

A knock at the door drew him from his thoughts. He raced to the only obstacle standing in the way of his lover, grabbed the handle so hard it almost broke off, and swung the door open. 

 

“Xiuminnie, I’ve missed you so mu-” 

 

“I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. Can I come in?” 

 

“Lay!? What are you doing here!?  _ Why _ are you here!?” Suho wasn’t trying to sound rude but he was completely thrown for a loop. Xiumin was supposed to be standing in front of him now, not Lay. 

 

“I’d like your advice.” 

 

“My advice?” Suho echoed back, still a little dumbstruck by the random meeting. 

 

The brunet gave him an apologetic look, “Well, Tao always comes to you for help when he’s going through stuff and I’ve never really dealt with drama before...”

 

With a defeated sigh, Suho stepped out of the way to let Lay enter. He liked feeling needed. It made his heart swell and his skin glow like he was an expectant mother. So, romantic issues be damned, he was going to help Lay. 

 

“Thank you,” he said, taking off his shoes next to the doorway and padding over to the living room. 

 

Suho followed suit, sitting down next to his friend on the sofa. “So, what’s this about?”

 

“I recently met someone and I think we’re slowly starting to become friends,” he began slowly, hesitant to jump into the juicy details Suho craved to hear, “I don’t see him much but when I do he’s usually pretty normal. Well, normal for him.” 

 

“What do you mean normal?”

 

“He’s kind of spacey and awkward but I can tell he’s happy.”

 

Something clicked inside of Suho at the explanation. The man Lay was talking about sounded flustered; possible reason being that he _ liked  _ Lay. “Alright, so what’s wrong?”

 

“I ran into him last night on the subway. At first, everything seemed fine but then he ran away from me like I was a ghost or something.” 

 

“He ran from you? Why would he do that?” 

 

Lay looked thoughtful for a moment before answering with a solemn look, “I smiled at him right before he left. Do you think that triggered him in some way?” 

 

“....”

 

“....”

 

“Really, Lay?”

 

“What?”

 

Suho facepalmed. If anyone was so oblivious it was painful, of course, it would be Lay. 

 

“What’s Lay doing here?” 

 

Suho skyrocketed off of the couch at the sudden voice. Sehun was all of a sudden standing in the kitchen, watching him with a straight face. He glanced over at Lay to check if he could see his roommate too or if he was just imagining things. The brunet, however, was staring at Sehun with little to no interest while continuing to sit nonchalantly on the sofa, despite Suho throwing himself onto the ground dramatically. 

 

“I wanted to talk to him about someone,” Lay answered for his gaping hyung. 

 

“Does this someone happen to be Chen?” Sehun asked with mild interest. 

 

Suho noted the way Lay brushed off the assumption as if it was wrong. The pink tint of his cheeks was barely noticeable even with Suho being only a few feet away. 

 

He wanted to know who Chen was. Somehow he was always out of the loop even though these people constantly forced him to participate in their lives. There was something else he wanted to know, though. 

 

“Sehun, where the hell did you come from!?”

 

The blond leaned against the kitchen counter, using his folded arms as a chin rest. There wasn’t the slightest sign of any emotion on his face which was common but Suho still found it a bit disconcerting. “What do you mean? I’ve been here the whole time.” 

 

“But I checked everywhere!”

 

“I was taking a bath in the other room.”

 

Suho blanked, “But we don’t own a bathtub...”

 

“What’s your point?” 

 

Just then, the door to the apartment opened with so much force that it slammed into the wall with a loud thud. Everyone’s head turned and Suho prayed that it might be Xiumin. It wasn’t. 

 

Baekhyun pranced through the doorway with a giddy grin and dazed eyes.

 

Suho felt his head throb in annoyance. ‘Fuck my life.’ Of course, he would have to deal with an oblivious unicorn, mysterious brat, and a potentially drunk midget all in the span of less than ten minutes. 

 

“Are you drunk, Baek? It’s not even that late. It’s bad enough that you’re a sex addict but now you’re an alcoholic too?” Suho questioned his behavior with a disappointed glare. 

 

“Oh shut up, mom. I’m not drunk,” Baekhyun replied, eyes lasering in on the male still semi-sprawled out on the floor. 

 

He actually didn’t seem drunk. Suho was stumped. 

 

“Why are you home so early?” Sehun asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “It’s a Friday. Shouldn’t you be out clubbing or something?” 

 

At least Suho wasn’t the only one wondering what was going on with the smaller male. 

 

Baekhyun frowned at the youngest, putting his hands on his hips sassily, “Oh Sehun, please stop snooping in other people’s business. It’s not attractive and trust me when I say you could use some charm.” 

 

A vein twitched in Sehun’s forehead, “Bitch.”

 

Baekhyun stuck his nose in the air as he skipped past the three to get toward his bedroom, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to make an important phone call.” 

 

Once he was gone, silence fell over the apartment. 

 

“What the fuck was that all about?” Sehun wondered aloud. 

 

Suho smirked at the irritation in the other’s voice. It was nice to see someone other than him getting a taste of Baekhyun’s attitude. Still, he was thinking the same exact thing. 

 

He glanced over at Lay, not surprised to see the brunet was in his own little world of rainbows and sunshine and far far away from the two weirdos. Suho sighed, pulling out his phone to see if Xiumin had texted him at all. 

 

Sure enough, there was a single text indicator and Suho tapped open the message with a hopeful spark in his heart. 

 

_ Xiumin: I just totaled my car. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to make it over tonight. :S Sorry babe.  _

 

“So how are you and Xiumin hyung doing?” Lay asked innocently. 

 

Suho wanted to punch him. 

  
Fate had funny ways of keeping people apart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! So many ppl were in this chapter! Amazing. Lol.   
> Anyway, Kyungsoo's storyline is getting dramatic! I threw in the others for some comedic relief and I wanted to write from Suho's perspective. 
> 
> Kyungsoo and Tao get POVs in the next chapter. :3


	18. The Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zitao orders a drink and Kyungsoo runs through the city. Drama ensues.

Kyungsoo had taken off so suddenly and so fast that Zitao had been shocked motionless. By the time he was about to go after his roommate, Kai had beat him to it. The tan male had shoved past him so that he could sprint after his ex. 

 

He really didn’t know how to react to that. He wasn’t about to start a conga-chase-line throughout the city. No thanks. Still, he really did want to help Kyungsoo. It’s what he promised he would do, after all. 

 

He stood there, tossing around his options when something finally dawned on him. He wasn’t alone. Obviously, there were hundreds of people in the club, but only one of them made him feel like he was being watched. Maybe it was because said person was literally staring at him. 

 

Kris... Great! He had totally forgotten about him being there. 

 

Tao slowly shifted his gaze so that he was looking at Kris as well, their eyes locked in an unreadable way. Kris was wearing that serious expression he’d had on the last few times they ran into each other. 

 

Zitao wanted to do a large number of things in that moment. Leaving was at the top of the list; however, he was done running. Running was exhausting not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. 

 

So instead of fleeing the scene like he normally would, Tao strolled up to the bar and ordered a margarita. He could feel Kris’s orbs burning into the side of his head, but all he cared about was getting his drink from the fairly attractive bartender. 

 

“What are you doing?” 

 

“Waiting for my drink,” he answered, not so much as glancing at the dirty blond. 

 

“That’s not what I meant.”

 

“Then what did you mean?” Tao tapped his fingers on the counter, channeling the anxiety he was feeling from just being a few feet away from Kris. He was nervous and frustrated but he needed to relax. He had to start handling his drama like an adult. 

 

In an effort to distract himself, he let his eyes wander over the man that was mixing his drink. He was close to his own height, except more broad. His eyes were big and brown which would normally give someone a  childlike appearance, but his eyes were shining with flirtatious charisma. The bartender’s hair was short on the side and long on top, styled up in a messy blond, almost silver, fohawk. 

 

He was hot. Very hot. 

 

“Why are you here? I didn’t think you liked being around me.” 

 

“I came here to help my friend out and now I’m a little parched. That’s all.” 

 

“You drink alcohol?” 

 

“Most people do. It shouldn’t be that surprising.” 

 

“Why are you being like this?”

 

Zitao could feel the guilt creeping up his spine, making himself question (again) why he couldn’t act normal around the other. He was still being selfish and stubborn about a mistake he made years ago. Kris didn’t even know how he felt when it happened, so why was he still holding a grudge? Especially, when it was starting to feel like Kris might actually have feelings for him now. 

 

‘Feelings!? That’s ridiculous. He played me then and that’s all he’s doing now.’ 

 

Finally, the bartender was walking over with his drink, a dazzling smile on his face. Zitao couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. 

 

“I haven’t seen you here before,” the man said, his voice light and refreshing. 

 

“I don’t usually hang out at clubs... willingly,” Tao replied, feeling flustered for no explicable reason. 

 

“That’s too bad. It makes my shift go by a lot faster with a pretty face like yours around.” 

 

Zitao glanced over at Kris who was glaring daggers at the bartender. He liked the expression on his face. There was obvious jealousy and possessiveness behind it, but the stranger didn’t even acknowledge Kris’s existence. 

 

“My name’s Jackson by the way.”

 

Tao looked back over to the bartender who was waiting expectantly. “Uh, hi. I’m Tao.” 

 

“You’re Chinese, right? You’ve got an accent.” 

 

He nodded, feeling embarrassed by his accent. He was always teased for it in school. He never grew out of it and he still sometimes had trouble speaking proper Korean. 

 

Jackson’s smile grew, “Awesome! I’m from Hong Kong.”

 

“Wow! Really!? I would have never guessed! You sound like you were born here.” Zitao was thrilled to hear that Jackson was from China too. He loved being around people from his birth country. It reminded him of home. That was one of the main reasons Tao had started liking Kris, now that he thought about it. 

 

“We should exchange numbers.” 

 

Zitao didn’t even think twice about pulling out his phone and typing in Jackson’s contact number. He didn’t realize that Kris’s glare had switched from Jackson to him. 

 

“How much is the drink by the way?” Tao asked, reaching for his wallet. 

 

Jackson waved his hands in the air between them, “No need for that! This one’s on the house.” He slid the margarita closer to Tao, the movement causing his eyes to rake over Jackson’s muscular arms. Tao swallowed at the sight and when he finally tore his gaze back to the man’s face, he was grinning knowingly. 

 

“See you around,” he said with a wink, before striding over to a different customer. 

 

Tao could feel the warmth of his cheeks and took a sip of his drink to make the fluttering in his stomach disappear. He had never been flirted with by another person in a long time, and even though he was flattered and Jackson was amazingly sexy, he was only willing to be friends. 

 

He had too much trust issues and emotional baggage to be dating someone so soon. Also, he had already learned what liking a cute guy could get you in life. 

 

“He’s only talking to you to get in your pants,” Kris said from the side.

 

Zitao huffed in annoyance, turning around in his seat so that he was fully facing the older male. “Yeah? And why are  _ you _ talking to me?” 

 

“It’s not like that anymore.”

 

“Well enlighten me then.”

 

Kris’s brows furrowed in thought, “It’s not easy for me to explain... I’ve never felt this way before...”

 

“Rejected, you mean?” he snapped, unimpressed with whatever it is that Kris is trying to talk about. 

 

“I’ve been rejected before, you know.” 

 

“Then what? Come on say it.” 

 

“I’m trying to, okay? I’m not very good at this sort of thing.”

 

Zitao snorted at the statement, preparing his next insult but Kris spoke before he could even open his mouth. 

 

“I love you,” he said quickly, as if he needed to say it before his mind could convince him otherwise. 

 

“What?” Tao questioned in a trembling whisper as a chill swept through his body. He had to have misheard him. Surely, Kris hadn’t said what he thought he said. 

 

“I love you,” Kris repeated, though his voice seemed more unsure and his eyes were full of... fear?

 

So Zitao hadn’t misheard him after all. 

 

What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to feel? Happy because his affections weren’t one sided anymore? Angry because Kris was going to such lengths just to get another taste of him?

 

It felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. 

 

The expression on the taller’s face was so very  _ wrong _ . He looked really sincere and that sent a horrible turmoil throughout Tao because he had been expecting anything but this. 

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

The words were devoid of any emotion, his face an empty slate of nothingness. Kris stared back at him as though it hadn’t come as a surprise. It probably hadn’t. 

 

“I understand. I haven’t been very good to you in the past and you never trusted me t-”

 

“I trusted you, Kris. You’re wrong on that one,” Zitao’s haze of confusion and shock had completely washed away as rage burned within, “I  _ trusted _ you and you just  _ used _ me.”

 

“We were young and I had no idea that you thought that we were dating,” Kris tried to defend himself but Tao was not in the mood to listen. 

 

“So it was all  _ my _ fault then!? The way  _ you _ complimented my martial arts, the way  _ you _ told me that I was special to you, the way  _ you _ held me, the way  _ you _ kissed me!? I didn’t initiate anything with you! You started it! You started this whole fucking mess! You’re the reason I’m so goddamn messed up now!” His voice escalated in volume and Kris started to seem panicked. 

 

The older male stood up, getting closer to Tao but not moving to touch him. “That’s not what I was saying, Tao. Look, let’s talk about this somewhere else. Please hear me out.”

 

Zitao stood from his stool so that they were face to face, his dark cat-like eyes burning into Kris’s worried orbs. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” he hissed, “You have no right to be this close to me and you have no right to tell me you love me when you  _ don’t _ . I am sick of your lies.”

 

He took a step closer and pressed his index finger into Kris’s chest with so much force the nail dug into his skin. “I am sick of your bullshit.”

 

Kris didn’t even try to protest as Zitao spun around and stormed out of the club. He didn’t even try to stop him. Deep down, he wished Kris would have come after him--wished he really meant what he said. 

 

\----

 

“Kyungsoo wait!” 

 

Kai’s voice called out from behind him, too close for comfort. He needed to move faster, needed to get to the sanctuary of his apartment before his ex could catch him. 

 

He turned into the street, packed with speeding cars. Angry horns blared at him as he raced across the road, not knowing how much he had put his life on the line just to put a distance between him and Kai. 

 

Certainly, he had given up the chase. 

 

Kyungsoo ran another block before he slowly came to a stop, his throat stinging and his lungs fighting for air. His body was not used to long distance sprints and he was amazed by himself that he could even go that far past his limits. 

 

He leaned against a building to catch his breath but his exhaustion had him sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the sidewalk. 

 

“Please don’t run,” the familiar voice said from overhead, quiet and pleading. 

 

Kyungsoo lazily lifted his eyes from the filthy pavement so that he could meet Kai’s. His heart felt heavy in his chest, unsure of what he should do or say. His emotions were a mess, too jumbled for him to figure out if he was angry, scared, happy or all three. 

 

He settled with, “I didn’t think you’d go this far.”

 

“A little running isn’t enough to stop me. I’m more surprised you’d go this far,” Kai replied with a weak smile. It was clear he was trying to be his normal cheery self, but something was holding him back. “Am I really so hard to be around?”

 

Kyungsoo sighed at a loss for words which didn’t faze the other. Neither of them was ever very talkative. 

 

The playboy took small steps toward the building until he too sat down so that his back was propped up against its bricks. There was a good foot of space between them--enough to keep Kyungsoo calm but too much at the same time. 

 

“Did you come to the club to see me?”

 

“It was a dumb idea.”

 

“Why did you come?”

 

Kyungsoo shrugged, “Finality? Something stupid like that. I should have known it wasn’t going to work. You’re a hard person to get over.”

 

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Kai whispered mostly to himself, “This feels like a dream.”

 

“Are you drunk?”

 

“Maybe? I don’t know. Does it matter?”

 

Kyungsoo turned to the brunet, his eyes searching as he asked, “Why did you do it?”

 

Kai’s shoulders fell at the question, his words stuck in his throat. 

 

“Why did you cheat on me?”

 

“You were always working and I felt lonely. I never knew how much lonelier I would be without you.” 

 

Kyungsoo sighed again. 

 

“I made a mistake.” 

 

The words were fairly obvious. Of course, Kai had made a mistake. He had gone and screwed another man while he was still with Kyungsoo. Still, it was something he needed to hear. 

 

“Every day I regret what I did. I miss you. I miss  _ us _ .” 

 

The smaller male shifted so that he could look at the brunet, their eyes locking instantly. Every second he spent looking at Kai, the more he felt like he was opening a wound buried deep inside. All of the betrayal he had felt the night Kai had come to him and confessed what he had done throbbed in his mind, but he pushed the feelings back. He’d rather remember their good times; how they’d been before everything went to shit. 

 

“Remember that time we went skiing together?” he recalled one of his favorite memories of them as a couple.

 

There was a glint in Kai’s eyes as he remembered it too, “Yeah. You had been so afraid to go down the first hill. I had to hold your hand the entire time.” A smile found it’s way to his face as he added, “How about the time we saw that musical together?” 

 

Kyungsoo felt the corners of his mouth tugging upward at the thought. “That was really fun.” 

 

They sat in silence for a while with only the sounds of passerbys filling the open air. It was comfortable but also sad. 

 

“How did we end up like this?” he wondered aloud. 

 

“We could always try again?” Kai suggested softly. 

 

Oh, he wished it could be that easy. “We can’t.”

 

“Why?”

 

“How am I supposed to trust you? After what... What if you get lonely again?”

 

“I’m not going to get like that ever again,” Kai reassured, “Please, Kyungsoo. Give me another chance.” 

 

Kyungsoo stared at him, a flicker of hope burning in his heart but he had already made up his mind. It was just too risky. He couldn’t handle another broken heart so soon after the first. 

 

“I can’t,” he replied, slowly standing up, “It’s better this way.” 

 

Kai’s head was tipped forward so that his face was no longer visible and Kyungsoo felt guilty and lost. He was doing the right thing; he had to be. 

  
Kyungsoo walked past Kai, still sitting firmly on the ground, and toward his apartment complex. His own words were still ringing in his ears and he wished that he could believe them.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Kyungsoo really done with Kai? Is Kris really in love with Tao? Did any of you recognize Jackson?   
> Most of these questions will be answered in later chapters. Stay tuned. 
> 
> Sneak Peek at the next chapter:
> 
> Title: The Flutist
> 
> (Enough said)
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and showing me love and support through comments and kudos and more. I adore you guys for sticking with this crazy story and I think we might be halfway done-ish? I don't really know because I keep adding more drama and then have to tie those loose ends. Lol. Why!?


	19. The Flutist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chen is upset, Kyungsoo is upset, Tao is upset, and Baekhyun's going to be.

Chen opened the bag of chips sitting in his lap, eagerly ignoring the other instructors in the teacher’s lounge. He was an emotional wreck. The past several days had been clouded with thoughts about Lay and nasty flashbacks of his past rejections and failures in general, he was still overworked, and to make it even worse he had just been assigned to be in charge of the school musical. 

 

Sure, there was going to be three others around to help--an acting professional, music director, and a choreographer but he was still going to be swamped. It was almost as if the whole world was against him, hoping he’d die of stress and loneliness. 

 

“Chen! Chen! Chen!” an overly enthusiastic voice called out, paired with a feminine man rushing into the room. 

 

The brunet squinted up at the fast approaching male. He was always glad to see his only friend in the building but he felt a bit overwhelmed by him as well. 

 

“Hello, Luhan,” he greeted in a much quieter volume. He didn’t want to draw attention from his other coworkers. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you volunteered to help with the musical!?” he asked with a huge smile. 

 

“I was voluntold, actually.” 

 

Luhan laughed, “Oh, don’t act so disappointed! You’ll get to spend thirty more minutes of your day with me! Isn’t that AMAZING!?” 

 

“Careful, your reputation as a manly man’s going to be in danger if you keep squealing like a girl,” Chen warned as if Luhan’s currently pink hair wasn’t already doing just that. 

 

“It’s not a reputation, it’s fact.” 

 

“Well, here’s another fun fact for you,” Chen said,”As it turns out, I don’t really want to spend extra time at the school, not even if you’re part of the package.” 

 

The older male pouted, “Rude.” 

 

Chen couldn’t help but smile at him. His good mood and high energy were highly contagious and he thanked the heavens for gifting him with Luhan. 

 

He could still remember the day they met. It had been his first day as the choir teacher and he’d been trying to introduce himself to his students over the loud playing of instruments from the classroom next door. After that period, Chen had stomped into said classroom to harass the band teacher, Luhan.

 

Except, Luhan didn’t give a shit. He’d gone on a horrendously long rant about how fortissississimo was the new sexy and that he was unwilling to settle for anything less than that. Chen had taken it upon himself to make his own students sing in the same, loud dynamic just to piss the band teacher off. 

 

In the end, the rising number of noise complaints from the other teachers put a stop to their battle of musical dynamics and they both found themselves in a penalty month of  pianissississississimo. The two were inseparable after that. 

 

Besides doing his job as the band teacher, Luhan was also in charge of being the music director for the musical every year. As Chen was the only existing choir teacher, it made sense to put him in charge of the vocals, but it was still ridiculous in his opinion. They weren’t even getting paid since they already worked for the school. The choreographer and acting professional, being outsiders, were at least getting some money out of their services. 

 

“What musical are we even doing anyway?” Chen asked after biting a potato chip in half. 

 

“The Lion King.” 

 

“Let me guess, you chose that one.” 

 

Luhan grinned from ear to ear, “Well, of course, I fucking did. It’s a super popular musical with a male lead and not a stupid bitch princess that’s hiding her whorish golddigger ways under a mask of beauty or plastic surgery more likely.” 

 

“Oh my gosh.” 

 

“What? I mean Beauty and the Beast is alright too I guess. Gaston is kind of manly and stuff.” 

 

“I really don’t know why we’re friends.” 

 

“I wonder who they hired to fill the other two slots,” Luhan changed the subject, “I hope they bring Hongbin again. He was a really good acting coach. Ooh! Jimin was a great choreographer too, though. Gosh, the possibilities are endless! I’m just  _ dying _ to know!” 

 

“Please keep your crushes to yourself.” 

 

Luhan turned to give him a death glare. 

 

“Don’t play dumb, Lu. We all know you want those two slots filled by manly men for you to ogle and drool over. That’s the only reason you’re okay with volunteering.” 

 

His hyung gasped in outrage, “I’ll have you know,  _ Chen _ , that I am not gay!” 

 

Chen abruptly stood up, grabbed Luhan by the sleeve, and dragged him out of the room and into the empty hallway. “What are you trying to do, Luhan!? Announce to the whole school that we’re gay!?” he asked in a low voice. The last thing he wanted was for rumors to spread that the two of them were queer. 

 

“I didn’t say  _ I _ was, idiot!” Luhan replied stubbornly. 

 

“Really? Lu, why are you still pretending?”

 

“Why are  _ you _ still so afraid of what everyone else thinks about  _ your _ sexuality?”

 

The brunet’s eyes widened momentarily, surprised that Luhan was bringing up his own struggles. It was always a known sore subject that they both tried to avoid. 

 

Luhan seemed to regret bringing it up too. “Listen, I’m sorry. Ignore that. I know that you don’t like people knowing but likewise, I don’t like being accused of being  _ gay _ either. I’m not. I’m straight.” 

 

Chen put his hands in his pockets (somewhere along the way he had lost hold of his chips) and sighed, dismissing their conversation. “Well, whatever. Classes are going to start pretty soon so we should probably get going.” 

 

Luhan frowned, “Yeah.”

 

“I’ll see you, later.” 

 

Before he could walk away, Luhan caught his wrist to stop him. “I better see you at the auditions tomorrow, Chen. Don’t skip out!” 

 

Chen rolled his eyes and faked a smile, “I’m not the ditching type.” 

 

\----

 

As soon as Kyungsoo had come home from work, Tao was upon him. After their club encounter with their exes, the small male had been locked in his room the rest of the weekend so Zitao never got the chance to ask him what happened after he ran out. Not that Tao was any better. He too had been shut in his room, isolating himself from his own problems. 

 

He was scared to leave the apartment lest he comes face to face with Kris in the most random of places, which was almost routine at this point. Tao was seriously considering it a common occurrence in his daily schedule. 

 

Kris was an enigma that was only getting worse and worse as the days went by. When Zitao had first reunited with him it had been overwhelming, confusing, and infuriating. Now, with the older making lame attempts at confessing his  _ artificial love _ for him, he’d found himself in an even more complex mess of emotions. 

 

Surely, Kris was lying to him, still dead set on getting in his pants. He was still the  _ monster playboy _ that was probably  _ hurt _ from being rejected on multiple occasions by the same sad person, and now he had an agenda to make Tao’s life hell. Well, if Kris thought he was going to fall for the obvious lies, he was wrong. 

 

Looking past his own romantic dilemma, he noted that he was a horrible person for not interrogating Kyungsoo yet. He felt horrible for it, but now that Kyungsoo was out in the open he had the perfect time to strike. 

 

Like a  _ wolf  _ stalking its prey, he had practically pounced on his small roommate as he entered the apartment, demanding a detailed explanation of what had taken place that drama filled night. 

 

Kyungsoo shoved him away and tried to flee to the sanctuary of his room, but Zitao wouldn’t give up so easily. He grabbed Kyungsoo and threw him over his shoulder so he could carry him to the couch and toss him onto its soft cushions. The brunet almost bounced off the couch and onto the floor but impressively managed to keep himself from falling off. 

 

He shot Tao a dangerous look that made him remember who it was he was dealing with, question his sanity, and want to jump off a bridge to save Sata- Kyungsoo the trouble of killing him in the near future. 

 

“If you ever pick me up again you’ll wish you hadn’t.” 

 

If only he knew Tao was already wishing he hadn’t. Still, he’d come this far and he was determined to get the details he yearned for. 

 

“Tell me what happened and I’ll stop bothering you.” 

 

Kyungsoo continued to glare at the blond until he eventually slumped against the armrest and sighed. “I ran away and Kai caught up to me.” 

 

“Oh my gosh! Don’t tell me you guys fucked!?” Tao exclaimed in shock. 

 

Kyungsoo threw a decorative pillow at his face. “Fuck no! We just talked!” 

 

“Oh. About what?” 

 

“He apologized for cheating on me an-” 

 

“How typical.”

 

“I could live without the sidebar commentary, Tao.” 

 

“Sorry!” 

 

Kyungsoo cleared his throat and continued, “He told me why he did it. To be honest, I kind of understand...” 

 

“You’re the victim, Kyungsoo! Don’t forget that!” 

 

Kyungsoo threw another pillow at Tao’s face, this time earning a yelp out of the panda. His glare darkened and the fear in the younger’s eyes prompted him to give one last attempt at finishing his explanation. 

 

“I want to forgive him for what he did. I want to more than I’d like to admit, but I know I shouldn’t. It’s just... he had this look in his eyes... He looked so genuine and he sounded so sincere.” 

 

Kyungsoo paused to reflect. He felt dumb for being so honest with his roommate, but Tao only looked understanding. He exhaled slowly, “I already know he’s a liar and I just don’t know if I can believe him or not. I think I might be too blind when it comes to Kai, to know when he’s lying to my face.” 

 

There was an awkward stretch of silence before Kyungsoo waved his hand, signaling Tao to talk again. 

 

“I know what you mean,” Tao said pathetically. 

 

Doe eyes stared up at the blond, hopeless and desperate for answers. “I don’t know what to do,” he confessed, orbs beginning to water. 

 

Tao panicked and sat down next to him, “Hey! Hey! It’s okay, Kyungsoo! We can get through this together, alright?” 

 

“You’re just as confused as I am,” he choked out. 

 

The younger male gazed deep into the brunet’s eyes, scrambling to come up with useful words but Kyungsoo was right. Tao was lost too. He needed help too. 

 

“You want to know if Kai’s telling you the truth or not?” Tao asked, trying to buy time. 

 

Kyungsoo nodded weakly. His small hands came up to rub at his eyes and Tao finally had an answer to his problem. 

 

“I think I know someone that can help you.” 

 

\----

 

Baekhyun was snuggled up next to Chanyeol on his couch as they watched one of the  _ Transformer _ movies. More specifically, Baekhyun was pretty much lying on top of Chanyeol and they weren’t really watching the movie. Whenever they weren’t glued to each other’s mouth, tongues tied together, and hands groping the familiar curves of their bodies, they were talking about meaningless things. 

 

The topics of conversation weren’t truly meaningless, but Baekhyun would really rather be spending their time together in a much more physical way. Chanyeol liked to talk, though. The giant preferred to listen to Baekhyun talk actually, except the smaller wasn’t really in the mood for anything verbal that wasn’t dirty. 

 

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said through a deep laugh, “Let’s stop for a second, yeah?” 

 

The brunet sighed as he pulled away from Chanyeol’s kiss swollen lips so that he could pout properly. “Stop? Why? Don’t you like my kissing?” 

 

“Of course, I  _ love  _ your kissing. I love all of the things your mouth has to offer, but right now I’d like it to offer words.” 

 

“Chanyeol, please. You’ve been blue balling me for ages! I want you so badly, baby. Please?” Baekhyun begged with a pleading look and a wiggling of his hips that he hoped was sexy, but really, when wasn’t he sexy?  

 

The younger male looked very conflicted, but still somehow found the strength to shake his head no. “Maybe, instead of dirty talk, you could start with something simple like how your day was?” 

 

“But dirty talk  _ is _ simple.” He tried not to brag. 

 

Chanyeol raised his brows and Baekhyun rolled off of him so that he was planted on the other side of the furniture. He crossed his arms and glared at  Shia LaBeouf’s character on screen. He didn’t even know what was going on but it looked like he was getting more action with Megan Fox than Baekhyun would ever get from his boyfriend. 

 

“Alright, fine. I got a job.” 

 

“Really!? Where at!?” 

 

Baekhyun tried to suppress a smile at Chanyeol’s excitement. He really loved how the man found anything he said so interesting. Stupid things like that were among the long list of reasons why Baekhyun was with Chanyeol even with a nonexistent sex life. He was whipped. 

 

“Some middle school hired me to be an acting professional for the school musical or something.” 

 

“You’re an actor?” 

 

Baekhyun snorted, “Hell no. But how hard can it be? I’m not the one in the musical anyway. I just get to call kids out on their lousy attempts.” 

 

Chanyeol frowned at his outlook, “You should be nice to them. They’re just kids.” 

 

He clicked his tongue in response. “Yeah, we’ll see what happens.” 

 

There was a loud knock at the door and they both perked up at the noise. “The pizza’s here!” they both said at the same time. 

 

Baekhyun offhandedly wondered if pizza guys got as much action as they did in old pornos and felt even more deflated at the thought. Even pizza guy's got more action than he did. 

 

“I’ll get it,” Chanyeol assured as he noisily made his way to the front door. 

 

Baekhyun laid back on the couch, stretching out his limbs as he waited for  _ his _ giant’s return. He was starting to get a little into the scene on the TV when something started vibrating underneath him. He moved a bit so that he could grab the still-vibrating phone--Chanyeol's phone. 

 

Baekhyun checked the caller ID, not recognizing the name from any of Chanyeol’s long stories about his life.

 

‘Who’s Irene?’ he wondered and he knew he should just ignore it and go back to watching TV. 

 

He did so in fact, priding himself on how great of a boyfriend he was to stay out of business that wasn’t his. Then the phone vibrated again and Baekhyun waved all manners away. 

 

He answered the phone but didn’t utter a word. 

 

There was a short moment of absolute quiet, but then it was broken by the soft voice of a girl--Irene. “Hello? Yeollie?” 

 

Baekhyun slammed his thumb on the end call button and shoved the cellular device in between the couch cushions. Yeollie? That was so informal and maybe he was jumping to conclusions way too fast but if she felt that they were so close and Chanyeol never even mentioned her... Well, it was entirely possible that he might be seeing Irene on the side...

 

Baekhyun groaned at his ridiculous thoughts. ‘Yeah, right! As if Yeol’s cheating on me!  _ Me  _ of all people!’ 

 

Still, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility completely. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny that all of the other characters were introduced by chapter 6. Luhan took me 19 chapters to throw in lol. Anyway, he's here now so yay!
> 
> A lot of humor is going to ensue in the next several chapters as well as huge amounts of drama and probably smutty stuff too. I feel like now's a good time to announce that not all of the pairings in this story are going to have a full-on sex scene. I know. I apologize. However, storywise it wouldn't make sense. We'll see what happens. I never write what I plan anyway. 
> 
> Thanks for supporting me as always! <3


	20. The Horror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting and fucking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real Quick: This chapter happens immediately after the last so its the same day/night. Baekhyun didn’t spend the night with Chanyeol. Tao texted him to come over so he does, k. I left this out cuz I felt like it wasn’t all that important and kind of self-explanatory but just in case!!! The next chapter will be about the auditions so its focus will be on Chen and I might add a Tao POV as well but I’m not sure...

Suho had finally reached his breaking point. His sanity and pride could no longer be reigned in and now nothing could stop him. Not his stupid roommates. Not his dumb preferences about beds. And definitely not ridiculous car crashes. 

 

He was done with his blue balls and he craved a remedy. 

 

If he didn’t get his fix of Xiumin he was going to go mad and he had mentally prepared himself to fuck it out no matter the obstacles. He didn’t care if fate wanted to keep them apart. He was. Just.  _ Done _ .  

 

Baekhyun was out of the apartment to meet with Zitao, which couldn’t be better. Sehun hardly ever left their place, and whenever he seemed to be gone he wasn’t. And so fucking what? Maybe he was a horrible  _ parent _ for it, but he could care less if Sehun heard every damn moan, thrust, and scream. He’d be scarred but maybe then, he’d be more empathetic of the shit Suho had to deal with. 

 

For the record, he was pretty sure Sehun wasn’t around anyway. 

 

The brunet ran his fingers through his hair, half in nervousness and half in an attempt to perfect his appearance. He had asked Xiumin to come over but had left out why. He felt spontaneity was needed and honestly, he was hoping one look at him would be enough to urge to older male into action. 

 

The thought alone had him semi-hard already and if that didn’t make his yearning painfully obvious he didn’t know what would. 

 

Hearing a knock at the door caused his breath to hitch in anticipation. He couldn’t remember being this horny ever. 

 

He tried not to race to the door and once he was there, he took one extra second to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt before finally opening the door. It was Xiumin and he seemed to be perfectly healthy (surprisingly) and drool-worthy with his tight clothes, toned arms, tousled hair, and natural bedroom eyes he always bore. 

 

Suho shifted the weight of his feet as he took it all in, his eyes raking over his boyfriend lustfully. He especially eyed the brunet’s muscular biceps, feeling an extreme need to lick the smooth expanse of skin there. Unbeknowingly, a low whine escaped his throat cutting off whatever greeting Xiumin was about to give. 

 

“He- Oh.” 

 

The younger’s eyes slowly met his gaze and his teeth pulled on his bottom lip as he practically begged for _ it  _ with one look. Xiumin’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading his lips as he cocked his head sexily. 

 

“Oh fuck yes,” he said as he stepped through the doorway, bringing his plush lips to Suho’s to initiate a fiery makeout session. 

 

Suho keened into it, gladly allowing the brunet’s tongue entrance while throwing his arms around his neck, fingers finding a purchase in his soft hair. Xiumin’s hands settled firmly on Suho’s waist while he dominated their kiss. They were sloppy, needy, and rough but it was everything they’d craved the past  _ however _ many months. 

 

“You taste so good,” Xiumin drawled as their lips parted, soon after pressing teasing kisses to his jawline. 

 

Suho’s mind was so fuzzy all he could manage was a shameless whine as he wrapped his legs around his boyfriend to bring them closer together. Their new position rubbed their equally erect members against one another, causing a hurricane of stimulation to crash down upon them. Xiumin nuzzled into Suho’s neck, muffling a low groan the same moment Suho’s head lolled back to release a whorish moan. 

 

He didn’t know how much foreplay he could handle. He was so overly sensitive that the single most contact with his boyfriend could be enough to bring him over the edge. Though he didn’t doubt he couldn’t go another few rounds after. 

 

“Please, baby,” he breathed out, “I want you inside of me...” 

 

\----

 

When Zitao had told Kyungsoo he knew just the person who could help him, he had imagined things to go so well. He knew Kyungsoo was a little intimidating and maybe rough around the edges but in truth, he was (kind of) a sweetheart deep down. He also knew Baekhyun was outlandishly flamboyant, talkative, overdramatic, and downright  _ dirty _ but he wasn’t the worst person in the world. In hindsight, maybe Tao should have known things wouldn’t be smooth sailing but he was nothing if not optimistic. 

 

There  _ was _ a split second of all-around friendliness when Baekhyun first arrived in their apartment. Kyungsoo had stepped out of the kitchen with round, curious eyes as he took in the sight of the brunet. It was a rather nice improvement from his usual glare. To his credit, even Baekhyun looked more respectful than usual, settling on an oversized hoodie and jeans instead of his skin tight or even sheer clothing. From looks alone, they were in good shape to make a nice first impression. 

 

Then Baekhyun had to open his mouth. He didn’t say “hi” or “You must be Kyungsoo” like a normal human being might. Nope. That didn’t spell Baekhyun at all. 

 

Instead, the brunet strode into the room with a confident sway of his hips as he smiled at Tao before shifting his gaze onto the blond’s roommate. He eyed Kyungsoo up and down before facing Tao once more, cocking his brow to ask, “Who’s the midget?”

 

To say things didn’t go well after that was an understatement. 

 

“ _ Excuse me? _ ” Kyungsoo grounded out as his owlish eyes narrowed furiously at Baekhyun.

 

“You’re excused.” 

 

Tao could feel the tension in the room growing, albeit a bit one-sided at the moment but seeing the pure rage in Kyungsoo’s chocolate orbs freaked the absolute shit out of him. Still, he forced himself to jump in anyway. 

 

“Uh, this is Kyungsoo, Baek. Remember, I asked you to come here to help him out and could you maybe  _ not _ insult him. You guys are pretty much the same size anyway...” he interjected, stumbling over his words but somehow managing to be understood by both parties. 

 

Kyungsoo snorted, “I should have known  _ you _ were Baekhyun. You definitely look the type.”

 

Baekhyun turned to the brunet with a skeptical expression, “What do you mean,  _ type _ ?” 

 

The sly grin that spread Kyungsoo’s lips was shudder-inducing as his eyes very visibly give Baekhyun a once over. “Oh, you know. The desperate whore type.” 

 

Tao’s mouth fell open in shock. Sure, he vented a bit to Kyungsoo but he didn’t think he’d remember much of their conversation and to think he’d use it as fuel against Baekhyun was insane. Baekhyun was probably just as surprised but he hid it well. His expression instantly morphed from sassily confident to furiously offended, however. 

 

“You wanna say that again you penguin fuck?” 

 

“Oh? Seems I struck a nerve,” Kyungsoo sneered.

 

“Yeah? Well, at least I can keep a man interested in me,” Baekhyun retorted. 

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes got so scarily wide they looked like they might pop out of his skull and Baekhyun didn’t waste the opportunity to kick him while he was down. 

 

“Chanyeol told me all about you and Kai and let me just say, that I’d cheat too if I was dating you. I mean is it _ really  _ so hard to fuck the person you love?” Baekhyun questioned with a mocking smirk. 

 

Kyungsoo’s face went dead serious as he gave Baekhyun an icy glare. 

 

Tao felt now would be a good time to step in but he wasn’t sure he’d survive being in the middle of these two. 

 

“You must have a death wish.” 

 

Baekhyun snorted, “Oh, sure. Like I’m really afraid of a stump like you.” 

 

It happened so fast, Tao almost missed it. One second, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were glaring at each other and the next, his roommate cleared the distance between them. Baekhyun flinched back in surprise, clearly not expecting things to potentially get physical and that hesitation was all it took for Kyungsoo to lock Baekhyun in a chokehold. 

 

The older male writhed in the hold, struggling to escape and breathe. Kyungsoo was smiling sadistically down at him, eating up the desperation in the other’s eyes. 

 

“What, don’t you like this?” Kyungsoo growled, “It can’t be that different from choking on a dick,  _ right _ ?” 

 

Baekhyun’s fingernails found Kyungsoo’s arm and scratched trails down his milky skin but it was futile. “Fuck you,” he barely managed to wheeze out past the arms around his throat. 

 

Kyungsoo just smiled. 

 

Zitao, sensing that he might be witnessing the murder of one of his best friends decided that he had to step in now or never. He was strong enough to rip Baekhyun out of the other’s grasp, he was sure. He just wasn’t sure he had the guts. 

 

So instead of using force against force, he just weakly spoke his name. “Kyungsoo...” 

 

The brunet’s eyes snapped up to Tao’s and he understood the message. With a loud sigh and a disappointed flash of his eyes, Kyungsoo released Baekhyun from the chokehold. The latter jolted away from Satansoo, coughing and gasping for breath. Tears had formed at the corners of his eyes and his face was tomato red as he glared daggers at his assailant. 

 

Kyungsoo smiled once again at Baekhyun’s disheveled appearance much to Tao’s disdain. 

 

“You fucker!” Baekhyun spat once he’d regained enough oxygen, “You could have killed me!” 

 

“...”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened for a split second before he was once again snarling at Kyungsoo, “You fucking bitch!” He rose to his wobbly feet, using the living room couch as support, “You’re a fucking psychopath!” 

 

“...”

 

The brunet glanced down at the couch and picked up a decorative pillow, throwing it harshly at Kyungsoo’s face. “You wanted my help with Kai but fuck that and fuck  _ you _ ! You’re not worth helping you goddamn freak!” he spat venomously and stormed out of their apartment before he could be faced with any such retaliation. 

 

Zitao stood in silence, hardly being able to process what had happened. All he knew was Baekhyun would be no help. But he had one last person he could ask...

 

With a defeated sigh, the blond turned to Kyungsoo, only to see the brunet staring blankly at their front door. 

 

Tao cleared his throat before offering a shaky smile at his roommate, “Well, that went well.” 

 

Kyungsoo’s head slowly swiveled his way, blank-faced and calm. 

 

“I hate him.” 

 

“I don’t doubt it.”

 

\----

 

Baekhyun shoved his hands in his pockets as he stomped out of the apartment building. Oh, he had hated a few people before but never like he did Kyungsoo. Not only had he insulted his very nature (because what the hell was wrong with sleeping around!?) but he’d also attacked him! That tiny little creep had tried to kill him! The bitch!

 

Oh, the nerve...

 

He couldn’t wait to show him up next time. He had trained in Hapkido. He knew how to fuck someone’s shit up and he’d love to see the terror in Kyungsoo’s eyes when he gets beat up by the  _ desperate whore type _ .

 

He didn’t know how Tao had managed so well around Kyungsoo, honestly. He was also just as baffled as to why Tao would ask him to help the fucker with anything. He should have known they wouldn’t get along. 

 

He just couldn’t handle this right now. He had a lot going on his life. He had a new job that he was actually excited about (but still) and then there was Chanyeol. He didn’t know what was going on. He thought he understood his boyfriend but maybe he was just being manipulated. 

 

Maybe Chanyeol was seeing someone else--Irene. 

 

He internally groaned. He didn’t want to doubt Chanyeol when he’d been so nice to him already but... Well... He’d be an idiot not to at least suspect something was going on...

 

He wanted to rip his hair out. 

 

“This is why people shouldn’t date.” 

 

When he got back to his own apartment, he was hoping for some peace and quiet. A nice break from the hellish meetup with Tao and Kyungsoo or the dysfunctional relationship he had with an elf. What he got was completely different. 

 

When he opened the door he felt like he’d just stepped onto a porn set. The sounds coming from down the halls were very familiar to Baekhyun but it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on. 

 

Someone was fucking in his house. 

 

Someone with the most femininely disgusting moans he’d ever heard, when they weren’t full on screaming in bliss. 

 

Someone like  _ Suho _ . 

 

“Oh God!” Baekhyun exclaimed, “I think I’m gonna throw up!”

 

“Join the party.” 

 

Baekhyun, with his cheeks puffed out and swallowing the nerve to vomit, turned to see Sehun sitting disturbingly still on the couch. The look on his face solemn and dazed as he stared at the TV which was turned to static. His eyes were bloodshot and all of the color was drained from his face. Maybe it was a porno meets a horror movie because Sehun looked like he’d just seen the chick from  _ the Ring _ crawl out of their television screen and survived. 

 

“Sehun? Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked while managing to block out some of the sinful noises his hyung was making. 

 

“I was just sitting here...”

 

“What?” 

 

“They didn’t see me...”

 

“What are you talking about?” 

 

Sehun slowly turned to the older male, drained and very much traumatized. “They’ve been at it for an hour but they didn’t start in their room...”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened in absolute horror as the realization dawned on him. “You saw!?”

 

“I saw  _ everything. _ ” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I'm not abandoning this story! I hope you liked this chapter. I know it was a lot less dramatic than the last lol. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for sticking around and happy holidays!!! :3


	21. The Boomerangs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chen runs into some old "friends". Tao has a moment. Baekhyun is around.

“Come on trumpets! Get in tune!” 

 

Chen sighed from where he stood in the hallway, leaning against the tiled wall across from the band room’s closed door. School had been out for five minutes already and he really didn’t want to head to the auditorium alone. He had come to Luhan’s class, hoping that they could head there together, but for untold reasons, the pink-haired man wanted to teach overtime. 

 

‘They’re out of tune because you’re keeping them here, idiot,’ he thought to himself in annoyance. 

 

“Did I  _ ask _ you to play louder!?” 

 

‘Doesn’t he know we have someplace to be?’ 

 

“I wasn't looking for an answer to that, Becky.” 

 

“...”

 

**CRASH!**

 

Chen jumped at the sudden sound from the classroom. It sounded like a piano had fallen from the sky and landed on a pile of xylophones. A few panicked yelps followed the noise and the music got noticeably quieter. It was as if half of the class stopped playing. 

 

“If you don’t want to end up like Becky here, you better keep playing!” Luhan ordered maniacally, “IN TUNE!” 

 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Chen huffed as he stomped over to the door and threw it open without a care in the world. 

 

Not a single student stopped playing; however, half a dozen pairs of eyes darted his way, scared and begging for help. Chen sighed and turned to face the teacher, who was conducting with a menacing glare. 

 

The brunet scanned the room and noticed a clarinet that had been snapped in half, laying at the feet of the trombonists. He put two and two together and concluded that yeah, Luhan had broken someone’s (Becky’s?) clarinet and threw it at the trombonists. It was a miracle no one had gotten hurt. 

 

It was a miracle Luhan even worked here. 

 

“Everyone!” Chen called out to the students, easily overpowering the sounds of their instruments, “The bell rang! You’re free to go!” 

 

Luhan turned to him in surprise as his students gratefully followed the choir teacher’s demands. The pink-haired male looked conflicted for a second, as if he wanted to reprimand the kids one last time, but shrugged and waltzed over to his friend. 

 

“If my ears weren’t bleeding, I’d have your head,” he smiled, “Be thankful my class is tone deaf.” 

 

“Honestly, Lu. You need to be more professional with them. You could lose your job.” 

 

He folded his arms and scowled, “Don’t go scolding  _ me _ , Chennie. There comes a point in every teacher’s career where they need to assault a student or two.”

 

“No there doesn’t. That’s illegal.” 

 

Luhan ignored him, turning his head to glare at the last student to scurry out of the classroom. “Fucking Becky,” he cursed under his breath. 

 

Chen feared for the girl’s life but oh well. He had more important things to worry about. Auditions were today and they were running late. 

 

He grabbed Luhan by the wrist and dragged him out the door without a single word. They’d made it five feet down the hall when Chen nearly fell to the floor. The band teacher had stopped walking along with him and looks be damned, he was much stronger than the brunet. 

 

If he hadn’t had a firm grip on his wrist, Chen would have face planted into the floor. 

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

 

Looking over his shoulder, he gave the male an exasperated look. “I’m taking you to auditions.” 

 

Luhan’s eyes lit up at the word and suddenly it was Chen being dragged through the hallways. “Oh, man! I forgot all about that!” 

 

“You don’t say,” Chen bit out, struggling to keep up with the tiny brute. 

 

“Hurry up, Chen. We’re gonna be late.” 

 

“Chen?” A voice questioned from down the hall. 

 

Luhan, thankfully, stopped at the sound of the voice but not before Chen slammed into his back. The two of them crashed to the ground, Luhan with a pained grunt as the brunet collapsed onto him. 

 

“Fuck! Get off of me, fatass!” 

 

“Shit, my bad,” Chen said as he took his sweet time climbing off his friend, making sure to dig his elbows into his back for good measure. 

 

“Are you guys okay?” the voice asked again, sounding much closer this time. 

 

Chen dusted himself off, “Yeah, we’re goo-”

 

His words got caught in his throat the second he glanced in the man’s direction. There, standing in the middle of the school’s hallway in a loose fitting tank top and baggy sweats, was none other than Lay. 

 

“Good? Speak for yourself!” Luhan shouted as he struggled to his feet. He narrowed his eyes at Chen for good measure and then faced the newcomer. “Who are  _ you _ ?” 

 

“I’m Lay,” he said with a bow, “Nice to meet you.” 

 

“Sure.” 

 

After finding the strength to recover from his initial shock, Chen sent an awkward smile Lay’s way, “What are you doing here?” 

 

‘Wow. Way to go, Chen. That’s how you greet your crush, huh?’ 

 

To his credit, Lay didn’t seem to mind the lack of a greeting and smiled back. His dimples had Chen’s pulse skyrocket and he swore everyone on Earth could hear. 

 

“I’m here for a school play. I’m the choreographer.” 

 

Luhan scoffed, “ _ Musical _ .” 

 

The brunet elbowed his coworker in the side, “Really? We were on our way there now.” 

 

“Oh?” 

 

“Yeah, I’m the vocal coach and Luhan here,” he gestured to the other, “is the music director for the  _ play _ .” 

 

Lay’s smile grew at the news, “I guess I’ll be seeing you a lot then.” 

 

His cheeks began to burn and he tried to play it off, “Uh, yeah.” 

 

“Okay. I’m leaving,” Luhan said and started marching toward the auditorium.

 

Chen ran after him with Lay in tow, “Wait up!” 

 

Luhan reluctantly slowed down and the two brunets caught up with him, matching his pace with ease. “I was really hoping it would be Jimin again,” he muttered bitterly. 

 

Chen rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’re as straight as a boomerang...” 

 

“That boy could turn the homophobes gay, Chen.” 

 

“Who’s Jimin?” Lay asked with an arched brow. 

 

Luhan coughed and turned away, “No one.” 

 

“Last year’s choreographer,” Chen answered with a dismissive wave of his hand, “He was nothing special. You dance way better than him.” 

 

“Thanks,” Lay beamed down at the shorter male. 

 

Chen damn near died on the spot. 

 

Luckily, they arrived at the auditorium before that could happen. 

 

The trio headed into the huge space crowded with eager students who were chatting with their friends or nervously waiting for the auditions to start. All of the students had white sheets in their hands, marked with some lines from a few songs from the musical. On the back of the page were some speaking parts as well. 

 

It was all a part of the audition. Each student would sing a line of their choice, deliver a speaking part, and dance with a group of five others to a basic choreography. Lay would teach it right away so that the crowd could practice for a while and then the auditions would really begin. 

 

There had to be 70 kids there at least and Chen groaned. He was going to be here for a while. 

 

“Sir, how do you think we should act this part?” a girl’s inquisitive voice carried through the auditorium, catching Chen’s attention. 

 

He looked at the source and openly gawked. 

 

A group of girls had gathered around the stage, looking up at the slender form of another familiar face. Baekhyun was sitting at the edge of the stage with his legs dangling over. He was wearing a white turtleneck, dress pants, loafers, circle framed glasses, and a beret. He looked like a cross between Harry Potter, Steve Jobs, and a hipster but somehow, he managed to pull off the look.. 

 

“ _ He’s _ here too?!” 

 

Luhan gave Chen a weird look before following his gaze, “You know him too? Oh great! It’s a fucking reunion!” 

 

Baekhyun grinned down at the girls as he took one of the sheets from them. His eyes danced over the paper, sparkling with excitement as he finished reading. “So you want to play Nala, huh? Great choice!”

 

The girls nodded their heads up and down and the one from before smiled. “Yes, sir! I really want to be adult Nala.” 

 

“Even better!” the brunet exclaimed as he handed the paper back to her, “So, here’s the deal. You might think that Nala’s all about confidence and feminine power. She has a crush on Simba and she just wants him to return to the pride, right?”

 

“Right,” they all say. 

 

“Wrong!” 

 

“The hell’s he going on about?” Luhan asked, “And what  _ is _ he wearing?” 

 

Chen honestly didn’t know what to say. He’d met Baekhyun a long time ago, but from the one night they’d hung out, he learned that the man was over the top and out of his mind. He trusted the male with the students about as much as he trusted Luhan with them and that wasn’t saying much. 

 

Lay finally noticed the brunet as well and straightened up, “Oh no.” 

 

With that, he sprinted down the aisle and to the stage, tackling Baekhyun to the ground before he could finish his sentence. 

 

“Nala’s a manipulative little who- ooAhh!?” 

 

The clique of girls squealed as their mentor was brought to the floorboards by a handsome stranger. Lay’s hands were firmly planted on the brunet’s lips, stopping any lude words from leaving his mouth. 

 

“Baekhyun, there are children here!” 

 

Chen knew the  _ children _ weren’t as pure and innocent as Lay seemed to think they were but he was thankful that no one got to hear whatever it was he’d been about to say anyway.  

 

Baekhyun tore the hands off of him and rolled away from his assailant. He wasn’t angry, as Chen would have guessed, but smiling from ear to ear. 

 

“Lay!” he cheered and forced the male into a tight hug. 

 

Chen felt his blood boil at the sight and decided now was the time to step in. He walked down to the stage and eyed Baekhyun warily, “Hello again.” 

 

Baekhyun pulled away from Lay and met his gaze, noting the brunet’s knitted brows and clenched fists. With a knowing look, he rested his cheek in the crook of Lay’s neck and smirked. “Hey, Chen.”

 

Chen visibly bristled but Luhan was there to clear the air. With an unimpressed frown, he climbed onto the stage and tugged the two apart. “This school doesn’t tolerate PDA of any kind. Stay three feet apart at all times. Thanks.” 

 

Baekhyun crossed his arms, “That’s dumb.” 

 

Lay cocked his head, unaffected by Luhan’s lecturing, “Hey, Baek. Why are you here?” 

 

The brunet grinned, “I’m the acting coach!” 

 

“But you don-”

 

“I have a degree in acting and a master’s in directology.” 

 

Chen squinted, “I don’t think that’s a thing.” 

 

Luhan threw his head back and groaned, “No Jimin and no Hongbin!? Why am I even here!?” 

 

\----

 

“So, what exactly do we need?” Zitao asked his small roommate as they entered the local grocery store. He went to get a basket but an assertive tug on his shirt sleeve put him on pause. 

 

“We’ll need a cart,” Kyungsoo said while fishing out a folded sheet of paper from the pocket of his jacket. 

 

Tao watched in awe as he unfolded the paper to its true size, revealing the list of items they’d need. The writing was abnormally small and the list took up both sides of the paper. The blond didn’t know how all of it would fit in their kitchen but this wasn’t Kyungsoo’s first rodeo. 

 

“Maybe, we’ll need two carts...” 

 

Kyungsoo snorted at him and started walking off. Tao snatched a cart and chased after him, deciding that one cart would have to be enough. 

 

“We’re practically out of everything at home,” the brunet explained nonchalantly, “And since you decided to tag along, I figured we might as well go all out.” 

 

“Oh.” 

 

They stopped at the bread aisle at the front of the store momentarily. Zitao eyed the brand he used to get with Lay but Kyungsoo avoided it as if it were the plague. Instead, the brunet went down the shelves, giving the loaves a gentle squeeze as he went. What would normally take Zitao one second, was taking ten minutes for Kyungsoo. 

 

He sighed impatiently. Kyungsoo ignored him.

 

He sighed again. Kyungsoo craned his neck to give him an exasperated look. 

 

“What?” he asked. 

 

“What are you doing?” 

 

“Seeing which one is the softest.” 

 

The brunet went back to his bread hunting and Tao eyed his favorite brand longingly. He was about to suggest it when Kyungsoo finally decided on a loaf. It looked too healthy to taste good and Tao didn’t bother hiding a glare.

 

This process continued for a few more items on their list and after a billion heavy sighs from the blond, Kyungsoo seemed to have had enough. He turned to Tao and pried the cart from his fingers wordlessly. 

 

“Wha!?” Zitao asked in alarm. 

 

“I’ve had enough of your sighing! It’s ruining my concentration!” 

 

“We- well what am I supposed to do?” 

 

Kyungsoo shoved the list into Tao’s empty hands with an annoyed huff. “Get the fruits and vegetables.” 

 

“But what abou-” 

 

“I’ve got it all memorized,” Kyungsoo said dismissively, “Just get the produce.” 

 

“Yes, sir!” Tao shouted with a clumsy salute before darting down the aisle and away from the man that seemed about to strangle him. 

 

Once he was in the produce section, he directed his attention to the well-written list. There was a lot. Its size wasn’t as daunting as the spices and herbs but it was still overwhelming. He picked out a basket and went down the list, starting with the veggies. He took longer than usual to choose what to get since Kyungsoo was so picky. 

 

He forced back another sigh before remembering that his roommate was no longer with him. 

 

After last night, with the whole Baekhyun fiasco, Kyungsoo had been even more on edge. His attitude had been the reason Tao had volunteered to help with the groceries in the first place. He thought the help would cheer the brunet up a bit. In the end, he was only irritating him more. 

 

It was quite the predicament. 

 

Really, how was he supposed to know Kyungsoo and Baekhyun wouldn’t get along? Yeah, they both had huge personalities on opposite sides of the spectrum but that didn’t mean they were destined to fight. Didn’t opposites attract?

 

He bagged up some cabbage with a frown. He had told Kyungsoo he’d be able to help him out with Kai but now he didn’t think he could. Suho and Lay were good at giving advice but that wasn’t what Kyungsoo needed. He needed actual help. 

 

Tao pulled out his phone and sent his friend a desperate text, hoping that he might change his mind for the better. 

 

If Baekhyun couldn’t help, the only person he could think of was...

 

Tao turned to the fruit section and noticed someone walking nearby. His breath got caught in his throat as he recognized the man instantly. 

 

He looked good (he always did) but today he looked even better. Washed jeans hugged his long legs and a plain t-shirt showed off his sinewy arms. His dirty blond hair was messy but he didn’t bother to cover it. Maybe it was his casual attire or the way he was obviously  _ not _ trying to look good that made him look so good but whatever it was, it was working. 

 

Tao shook his head angrily, to clear up the ridiculous thoughts he was having. He was still furious with the older male for lying to him at the club. The confession or whatever had been so fake that Zitao had forced the whole ordeal from his mind. But now, staring at the infuriating male before him, it was making his blood boil once again. 

 

He was angry and confused. He wanted to brush his fingers through his wild strands of hair and he wanted to run away and never look back. He wanted to do something and nothing at all. 

 

He was tired of feeling this way. 

 

Before he could decide what to do, his neighbor’s eyes flickered to where he was standing dumbly by the lemons and limes. 

 

Tao waited for Kris to flash him his signature smirk and walk over to him in a predatory fashion like he always did. His hands balled into fists in anticipation and a bead of sweat ran down his hairline. 

 

Kris watched him for no more than three seconds, a foreign look in his eyes before he turned away and continued on. 

 

It felt like time had stopped. 

 

He watched Kris’s retreating form but there was no sense of relief or glee. His stomach clenched in a way that made his head spin. He had been left alone as he’d wanted since they reunited, but somehow it made him feel worse. 

 

Empty. 

 

He didn’t know how long he’d been standing in one spot, staring off into the distance, and he didn’t really care. When he went back to shopping, he barely glanced at what he was putting in the basket. He just wanted to go home. 

 

\----

 

The auditions went a lot later than Baekhyun had expected them to and maybe it had something to do with him. It had been so fun at first, telling kids what to do and how to do it, that he ended up making everything take longer than it should have. That had been fine until his stomach had started growling so much and so loudly that a dragon could have been growing inside of him. 

 

Then the hunger pains came and his interest in the play vanished entirely. 

 

Of course, he still gave his input on who should be invited to callbacks but he wasn’t as enthusiastic about it. Thanks to Lay, he had to be on his best behavior too, which was really killing the mood. 

 

But now it was over. 

 

After saying goodbye to Lay, Chen, Luhan, and a flock of students that seemed to love his antics, Baekhyun had slumped onto a bench in front of the school. He took out his phone and sent a message to Sehun, letting him know he was ready to be picked up, and then checked his newer texts. 

 

Chanyeol had sent him a few lovey-dovey messages matched with some heart emojis--the usual. He rolled his eyes because that was much too sappy for his tastes but he sent a kissing emoji all the same. 

 

He had a text from Tao too. Hopefully, it was an apology about last night. He was still bitter about being attacked for no apparent reason. After reading the message, he confirmed that no, Tao didn’t give a shit about his feelings or wellbeing. 

 

In fact, he still wanted him to help Kyungsoo. The nerve! 

 

The next time they met up, pandas would be a little more endangered. 

 

With a defeated sigh, he decided that he could help out a little bit. Or rather, Chanyeol could. It wouldn’t hurt to ask his boyfriend to talk to Kai since they were friends and all. Maybe something would come of it. Maybe not. Baekhyun didn’t give a shit either way. 

 

Honestly, this whole dating thing was making him soft. 

 

Before he could change his mind, he sent Chanyeol a text about it. Almost instantly, he responded with an unsurprising yes. Well, at least he wasn’t the only whipped one here. 

 

He threw his head back and laughed. He couldn’t believe he had been doubting Chanyeol’s loyalty. Clearly, the man was too obsessed with him to have a sidechick. Plus, who would date someone named  _ Irene _ ? That was a total ajumma name. 

 

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Sehun’s car pulled up to the sidewalk. Baekhyun wasted no time getting to the passenger seat and greeting Sehun with a concerned smile. In all honesty, he was worried about the boy. After what he’d witnessed yesterday, he was pretty sure the blond was warranted some therapy. Lots and lots of therapy. 

 

“How are you feeling?” Baekhyun asked. 

 

Sehun stared straight ahead as he started driving away from the building, “I’ll never be the same.” 

 

Baekhyun patted the younger male’s back reassuringly, “It’ll be okay, Sehun. I’m here for you.” 

 

Sehun’s lips quirked at the gesture.

 

“Seeing mom fuck some guy right in front of you has got to be way worse than walking in on them,” the brunet started, “I can’t blame you. Hell, if it had been me, I would have gouged my own eyes out.” 

 

“You’d still have the memory though,” Sehun pointed out. 

 

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s true.” He took a minute to rethink his plans. “Alright, well then I would keep my eyes and get the memory hypnotized away.” 

 

Sehun sighed, “Hypnotism, really?” 

 

“Hey, now! Don’t knock it till you try it!” 

 

The blond snorted, unattractively if Baekhyun might add, but said nothing else on the subject. 

 

Baekhyun sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. “Maybe if you found yourself a girl, you could have your own wild and crazy sex to forget all about it.” 

 

He shrugged in indifference. 

 

“No? Well, how about a guy?” Baekhyun asked and he was actually curious to hear what Sehun would say. He wasn’t entirely sure if he even swung that way. 

 

“Nah.” 

 

“How can you say that!? Are you trying to tell me that you aren’t interested in sex!? From anyone!?” he threw his hands in the air in frustration. He couldn’t believe it. Every day he was with Chanyeol, being forced into celibacy, he yearned for his old sex life. 

 

And to hear a single (and ready to mingle) Sehun tell him “Nah” was just plain insane. 

 

Sehun glanced at him warily, “I’m not really looking to date right now.” 

 

“You don’t have to  _ date _ !” 

 

“I’m not like you, Baek. I can’t just fuck some stranger.” 

 

For some reason, that stung a little more than it should have. 

 

“Well, what if the right person comes along? Then what?” Baekhyun wondered aloud, setting aside his bruised ego for the moment. 

 

Sehun remained silent for a long time and Baekhyun was almost positive he wouldn’t be given an answer. Then, as they were pulling into their parking garage, the blond replied in a soft, thoughtful tone. 

  
“ _ Then maybe... _ ” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to get everything where it needs to be. Finally, I can start getting Sehun and Luhan together. Wow. Also, a lot of the other couples will get their endings soon. :D
> 
> I'm so happy!


End file.
